Children of the Bat
by PiperBaker
Summary: There's a new girl in Wayne Manor with a difficult past. When she becomes an official member of the Bat Family, her future, as well as her father's and brothers', gets even more complicated. *Rated T for violence mostly*
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

10-year-old Piper Baker burst from her home. She ran and ran, tears streaming down her face. Behind her, she could hear her father yelling at her, but she ignored him.

She wasn't going home. Not this time.

Piper stopped to catch her breath. She slumped down against a wall and held her knees. She sobbed uncontrollably for minutes. During that time, she remembered everything that had happened in the last two years.

Piper's mom was gone. She wasn't dead. She just got up and left, leaving Piper alone with her father, or so her dad told her. Piper's dad was verbally and physically abusive. He attacked her constantly with words and hands, and Piper had finally had enough. She would stay out on the street for as long as she had to, until someone found her.

Five days later, Bruce Wayne and his ward Dick Grayson took a shortcut home from the Wayne Tech building in central Gotham city. As they walked to the train station, something caught Dick's eye.

"Bruce, look." He pointed to a small girl reaching up into the pocket of a wealthy man. The girl had long, messy brown hair. Her brown eyes were red and puffy, like she'd been crying nonstop for hours. Her clothes and skin were stained with mud. She pulled out the man's wallet and tucked in under her shirt. The man didn't notice. From the way she looked, it was obvious she'd been out on the street for a while. The girl looked around to make sure no one had seen her, and then ran off into a nearby alley.

"Come on," Bruce said to Dick. They both ran after her.

In the alley, Piper sat behind a garbage bin, counting the money in the man's wallet. There must've been more than a hundred dollars in there! A smile spread across Piper's face. She could go home. A bribe with this much money would keep her dad away from her at least for a while. All she wanted was food and somewhere soft to sleep.

"Hello," a soft voice said. Piper jumped and looked up into the face of Bruce Wayne. She quickly shoved the wallet up her shirt.

Bruce smiled at her. "It's ok, we're not going to hurt you. What are you doing here by yourself?"

Piper stayed silent, looking in between Bruce and Dick. Bruce was tall and well-built. His dark brown hair was neatly combed back. His brown eyes were warm as hot chocolate. Dick was slightly taller than Piper. His messy black hair fell over his deep blue eyes. Something about them, Dick especially, seemed kind and willing to help her. But Piper couldn't form the words.

"Can you talk?" Bruce asked.

Piper nodded.

"Do you want to talk?"

Piper shook her head. Suddenly, her stomach made a loud grumbling sound. Bruce let out a small laugh.

"Are you hungry?"

She nodded again.

"Why don't you join us for dinner at Wayne Manor tonight Miss?"

She looked at Dick. He winked at her. She looked back at Bruce and nodded.

"Well then it's settled. Oh and one more thing. Follow me."

Bruce led her out of the alley. The man whose wallet was stolen still stood on the curb, waiting for his ride. Bruce led Piper up to him.

"Excuse me sir," Bruce said, "but I think this belongs to you."

The man looked at Bruce in confusion. Bruce looked down at Piper.

"Well, come on. Give the nice man his wallet back."

"My what?" the man shoved his hands into his pockets, looking for his wallet. Piper sighed and pulled the wallet out from under her shirt. She handed it back to the man.

"Well I never!" the man was furious. "You should be arrested for your crime!"

Bruce chuckled. "Now, now that's not necessary. My daughter here was just playing a little game."

Piper looked up at Bruce in shock at the sound of the word "daughter." Bruce Wayne was protecting her? Why?

"Well, you should teach your children better games Mr. Wayne," the man said. "I'll forget this happened if you keep a better watch on your children." The man nodded toward Dick. "Mr. Grayson."

Dick nodded back politely.

"You have a deal sir," Bruce replied. "Come on kids, let's go home."

Bruce walked away followed by Piper and Dick. The three boarded a train headed for north Gotham. Once they got off on at the train station, they walked toward Wayne Manor. Piper trailed behind Dick and Bruce.

"Your daughter?" Dick whispered to Bruce.

"I had to get her out of trouble somehow. Dick, I'm worried about this girl. Did you see the bruises on her arms and face? She didn't get those from falling down. Some hit her. Repeatedly."

"Why are you bringing her to the manor?"

"Maybe she'll tell us what happened after a nice meal. But you have to be willing to help."

Dick looked back at Piper. Her head hung low and she was dragging her feet along the ground. His heart sunk. Whatever life this girl had, it wasn't a happy one. And Dick knew all about unhappy childhoods.

"I'll do whatever I can to help Bruce."

"Thank you Dick."

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Piper looked up at the giant house. It was an old brick mansion, with windows twice the size of the front door, which was huge. The front lawn was green and clean cut, different from the dead, yellow grass outside her house in east Gotham. Trees scattered the lawn, providing shade from the hot July sun. When they reached the door, Bruce took out a key and opened it, then stepped aside and let Dick and Piper in first. Inside was even more impressive than the outside. The front hallway emptied out into an open area in the center of the house. Off to her left, Piper could see the living room, a friendly looking place with gold colored sofas. Through the giant French doors, Piper saw a veranda with white wicker chairs overlooking the back lawn. In front of her stood the carpeted staircase with the mahogany railing that led to the second floor. To her right, she could see the dining room and another room that was closed off by its door. Alfred, the butler walked to them. He looked down at Piper.

"Master Bruce, who is your new friend?"

"This young lady will be joining us for dinner this evening."

"I'll set an extra place at the table sir." Alfred walked back toward the dining room. Bruce led Dick and Piper to the living room.

"Make yourself at home."

Dick plopped down on one of the couches and Piper did the same.

"Interesting," Bruce mumbled. He sat down in one of the chairs across from Piper. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs.

"Can you at least tell me your name?"

Piper looked at Dick nervously. She turned back to Bruce. "Baker," she whispered.

"Is that your last name?"

She nodded.

"Do you want to tell me why you were out on the street by yourself?"

Piper looked down at her feet. Her stomach growled again.

Bruce stood up. "Maybe we can talk after dinner. Come along you two. Dinner time."

They walked into the dining room. On the table were three plates with chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Bruce and Dick sat down and started eating. Piper stood by her chair, looking down at the plate of food Alfred left for her.

Dick smiled at her. "Dig in."

Piper jumped into her chair, and without her silverware, began stuffing her food into her mouth. She looked up at Bruce and Dick. Dick was holding back a laugh while Bruce was smiling at her.

"Silverware Miss Baker."

Piper wiped her hands off on her shirt and picked up her fork. She hesitated picking up the knife. She delicately lifted it up and ran her fingers over it. As Alfred walked into the room, the door slammed behind him. Suddenly the knife flew from Piper's hand, caught Alfred's jacket and pinned him to the wall.

**The chapters in this story are a little long but I hope you all enjoy this story as well.**

**Also, the character was created before my account. I just really like that name :)**

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Bruce and Dick jumped up in shock.

"What was that for?!" Dick yelled.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Piper started crying. "I didn't mean to! It was instinct. I didn't mean to hurt him!"

Bruce pulled the knife out of the wall. "You didn't hurt him. It went straight through his jacket. Perfect aim."

"Please Mr. Wayne, don't have me arrested!" Piper begged. "I…I…" She collapsed on her knees and cried.

Bruce went over to Piper and put his arm around her. He helped her to her feet.

"If you won't tell me, will you talk to Dick?"

"What?!" Dick protested. "After the stunt she just pulled?"

Bruce looked at him sternly. "You said you'd help. You said you'd do whatever you could. Are you backing out on that now?"

Dick relaxed his muscles and took a deep breath. "Alright."

Bruce turned to Piper. "Miss Baker, we need you to tell Dick here what happened to you. Can you do that?"

"Ok," she said in a weak voice.

Dick took Piper's hand and led her to the study. The room was lit by multiple reading lamps. There was a dark wooden desk in front of the big widow. The walls were lined with bookshelves filled to brim with books. Newspapers littered the desk. One of the titles grabbed Piper's attention especially. It said _Batman and Robin Save the Day Again. _Piper slid her fingers over their names. Dick pulled her attention back to him. He motioned for her to sit down and she sat on a red cushioned chair.

"First of all, what's your name?" Dick asked.

"Piper Ann Baker."

"How old are you?"

"I'm 10 years old."

Dick crossed his arms and gave her a harsh look. "Why did you throw that knife at Alfred?"

Piper took a deep breath. "It's an old habit. My dad would always slam the door before he attacked me, so I would throw whatever I had in my hand at him. Most of the time, it would be a knife."

Dick stared in disbelief. "Your dad…attacked you? What did he do? How did you end up on the street?"

"My mom left me alone with my dad. And he would attack me. Especially when he was drunk. Finally I had enough. So I ran away. I figured if knives didn't keep my dad away, maybe money would. So I started pickpocketing, a trick my dad taught me. I'd been out on the street for five days before you and Mr. Wayne found me."

"And the bruises on your face and arms?"

Piper looked at her arms. "Courtesy of my dad."

"That's horrible!"

"Mr. Grayson-"

"Please, call me Dick."

"Dick, I don't want to go back. I…I can't go back. I know that if I do…my dad will kill me."

"I'm sure he won't actually."

Piper shook her head. "No Dick. My dad will actually kill me."

Dick, overwhelmed by all this new information, slammed his fist on the desk. "No, he won't. Stay here, I need to talk to Bruce."

Piper jumped up and grabbed Dick's arm. "No! Please don't tell Mr. Wayne! If my dad ever found out, he'd hurt him!"

Dick put his hand on Piper's gently. "I doubt it."

He ran out of the room, leaving Piper alone to question what he was really going to tell Bruce. Dick went back into the dining room where Bruce and Alfred stood talking about their unique guest.

"Bruce!"

"Dick, what did you find out?

"Her name is Piper Baker. Bruce, you have to help her. She told me everything."

"Why did she attack Alfred?"

"She attacked Alfred out of fear. Whenever she heard a door slam at home, it would usually be followed by a beating from her father."

"A beating?!"

"She can't go home Bruce. She's afraid her dad will kill her." He paused. "Bruce…we can…give her a home."

Bruce thought about it for a moment. "Are you sure Dick?"

"Piper may not have a past like mine. But her father beats her. No parent should do that to their children. No wonder she ran away."

"I'll go talk to her. I think I know where I heard the name Baker before." Bruce walked out of the dining room and into the study, where Piper stood holding herself. She looked up him when he came in.

"Mr. Wayne?"

"Piper Baker. Are you related to Clint and Ann Baker?"

Piper's eyes widened. "You know my mom and dad?"

"Unfortunately, I do know your dad. I was at his trial."

"Trial? What trial? What did he do?"

Bruce closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He knelt in front of her and grasped her shoulders.

"I can't tell you quite yet Piper. You will understand soon."

"Mr. Wayne, I'm sorry about attacking your butler."

"It's ok Piper. Dick told me everything. He said that you can't go home."

"Please don't send me home Mr. Wayne."

Bruce held up his hands. "Dick also suggested that you spend the night here at Wayne Manor. We'll talk to your father tomorrow. And then you can come and live with us."

Piper looked at Bruce in surprise. "Did…did you really mean that Mr. Wayne?"

"Yes I did. But tomorrow morning, we need to have a talk with your father. Come back into the dining room and finish your dinner. We'll just remember to keep knives away from you."

Piper smiled and followed Bruce back into the dining room. Her dinner was still on the table, but her knife was now gone. Dick sat at his seat, Alfred had gone in the other room, and Bruce now joined Dick at the table. Piper took her seat next to Bruce and finished her dinner.

Afterwards, Bruce took Piper upstairs and showed her to her room. It was huge compared to the one she used to have. There was a giant window that overlooked the north section of Gotham, with central Gotham looming on the horizon. The bed was against the opposite wall. It was a queen size bed, which was a big improvement to the pallet Piper slept on at her old home. Lying on top of the covers was an old gray T-shirt and loose blue sweatpants. Piper went straight to the window and looked out at the city.

"The T-shirt and sweatpants are Dick's. We're a bit short on girl clothing so he's letting you borrow them. If you need anything, His bedroom is right next door and mine is down the hall."

"Thank you Mr. Wayne."

He smiled. "You can call me Bruce."

Piper bowed her head. "I really don't deserve all of this. I'm a thief."

"You may not know it, but you deserve this and more. Dick told me you've been through a lot."

"He seemed so sympathetic. Why?"

"I'll let Dick explain that himself. As for you, I suggest you get to sleep soon. Tomorrow's a big day." Bruce began to close the door. He popped his head back in and smiled. "Good night Piper."

She smiled back. "Good night Bruce."

Bruce closed the door and Piper turned back to the window. Tears stung her eyes. She was overwhelmed by Bruce. He was so different from her father. She didn't deserve his kindness or his acts of charity. Or Dick's for that matter. Piper heard the door click behind her and she turned, expecting Bruce. Instead, Dick was standing in the doorway. They just stood and stared at each other for a few minutes.

"You settling in ok?" he asked as he walked in. He was wearing an army green long sleeved over black sweatpants.

Piper wiped her eyes. "Yeah, I think so. Is something wrong?"

Dick shook his head. "No, I was just thinking. You told me your back story. The least I can do is tell you mine."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." Dick sat down at the end of Piper's and she sat on the windowsill.

"I was originally part of the Flying Graysons, an acrobatic act at the Haly's International Circus. One day, a gangster came and ordered Jack Haly, the owner of the circus, to give him and his gang money. Jack refused. That night at the show, during my family's trapeze act, the wires were sabotaged, and my mom, dad, aunt, uncle and cousin…fell." Dick sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "There was no net. That was the thing that made it so popular. We did all our stunts without a net. That was the one night I wish they used one. They all were killed except for my uncle, but he was paralyzed. Bruce was there that day and he paid for the funeral. After that, he took me in, and that's where I am today."

Piper absorbed all this information. "And you watched all this happen?"

"Every minute of it unfortunately."

"Oh, Dick, I'm so sorry. And here I was thinking my life was hard. Did…did Batman show up?"

Dick looked surprised. "Batman?"

She smiled a little. "Yeah. And Robin. I've always admired them." She turned and looked out the window over Gotham, which was sparkling in the darkness. "I was hoping that one day, they'd save me from my dad and let me join them." Piper turned back to Dick. "We're they there?"

Dick shook his head. "No, they arrived too late."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

He wiped his eyes. "You should get some sleep," he said with a sigh.

"You should too." She smiled at him. "I'll see you in the morning."

Dick smiled back. "See you in the morning."

He left the room. Piper changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. The bed was warm and soft. She fell asleep instantly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The next morning, Piper woke to the smell of pancakes and bacon. She jumped out of her bed and ran down stairs to find Bruce and Dick already awake. Bruce smiled as she walked in.

"Did you sleep well Piper?"

Piper nodded. "Better than I have in years. Thank you so much Bruce."

He smiled. "It's no trouble at all Piper. Would you like breakfast?"

She laughed. "Of course!"

They all ate their breakfast, joking and laughing the whole time. _So this is what a real family is like,_ Piper thought. She smiled all throughout breakfast.

A few hours later, Bruce, Dick, and Piper were walking to the train station. Piper was holding Bruce's hand, swinging their arms back and forth. They talked about Piper's new school and the design of her new room. _He's more like a real dad, _she thought.

"Do we really have to talk to him?" Piper asked. "Why can't you just send him an email?"

Bruce laughed. "It's more business like to talk face to face."

"Sounds like a Bruce Wayne thing to say," Piper responded. Dick laughed and Bruce gave a little chuckle.

On the train, Dick and Piper played Sweet-or-Sour with other passengers. They laughed and joked the whole way. Many people asked Bruce about Piper. He said that she was Dick's new sister. When they heard this, Dick and Piper exchanged huge grins. Dick was especially excited by this news. For a long time, Bruce had done so much to help him. Now, he had someone to help and protect. He decided then and there, he would be the big brother she could count on and that he would do anything to keep her safe.

They got off the train in east Gotham. Piper led them to the poorer part of town and they followed her to her old house. It was a small, rundown two story house, with peeling paint and splintering wood. Bruce walked up to the door and knocked. A man with a scruffy beard opened the door. He had an empty bottle of beer in his hand. The man looked at them in disgust.

"What do you want?" he slurred.

"Excuse me," Bruce said. "Clint Baker correct?"

"Yeah, what's it to ya?"

"Perhaps you remember me from your trial. My name is Bruce Wayne. I'm here on behalf of your daughter Piper."

"That little witch. What did she do this time?"

"It's not a matter of what she did sir. I'm here to inform you that I'm taking her in."

"You're what?!"

"Piper told me everything you've done to her. It is not appropriate to raise a child this way. You will be arrested for child abuse and finally convicted of the terrible crime you were accused of. Ann will have justice."

Piper looked at Bruce then at her father. They were talking about her mom. She will have justice? What happened to her?

Anger rose inside Baker's eyes. "How dare you accuse me of such things! How dare you mention my wife in front of my daughter. Do you know how long it took for me to finally stop her crying over her mother? I've been the best father that ungrateful girl could ever have!"

"Best father my butt!" Piper yelled. She tried to hit him but Dick grabbed her arm and held her back.

"You," her father growled. "You brought these people here. You're the reason I'm like this! You're the reason your mother disappeared!"

"No Baker!" Bruce stepped in front of him. "You're the reason her mother is gone! You killed her remember?"

Piper heart skipped a beat. "You killed her? You killed mom?!"

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't kill you!" her father lunged and swung his beer bottle at Piper. Dick pushed her behind him. The beer bottle struck him across the head and he fell to the ground.

"Dick!" Piper kneeled beside him. He was holding the side of his forehead. A tickle of blood made its way through his fingers and down his face. She turned and looked at her father with pure hatred in her eyes. "You monster!"

"You…" Bruce balled his fist and punched Piper's father in the face. He slumped to the floor unconscious. Bruce knelt next to Dick and put pressure on his head.

"Piper, do you know where a phone is?"

"Yeah, there's one in the house."

"Call the police. Now!"

Piper ran into the house and got the phone. She dialed 911 and told them everything that happened. The police arrived shortly after and took her father away. The paramedics bandaged Dick's head. After the excitement was over, Piper sat on the front step with her head on her knees. Bruce sat down next to her.

"Did he really kill my mom?" Piper asked without lifting her head.

Bruce put his arm around Piper and took a deep breath. "Piper, your father was drunk that night. They had an argument. Over you. They were going to get a divorce and your mother wanted you. Your father's aggressive side took over and he struck her. Your mother was dead before we got there."

Piper lifted her head. "You were there?"

Bruce sighed. "Piper, when we get back home, I will tell you something that will help explain things."

Piper nodded. Dick stumbled over with a paramedic spotting him.

"Can we go home now?" he asked.

Bruce smiled and helped Piper to her feet. "We can go home now." He turned to the paramedic. "Is there any way we could get a ride back to Wayne Manor?"

"Of course," the paramedic said. "Just get in the back of the ambulance."

"Thank you," Bruce said. He loaded Piper and Dick into the truck and then stepped in. Bruce smiled at Piper and put his hand on her shoulder. "Let's go home."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Back at Wayne Manor, Piper, Bruce, and Dick stood in the study. Bruce walked up to the old grandfather clock, reached behind, and pushed a button. The clock rose and revealed an elevator.

"Come on, you need to see something."

Piper looked at Dick. She walked over and helped him walk into the elevator. They went in, the door closing behind them. The elevator then took a long plunge downward. When the door opened again, Piper found herself staring into the Batcave.

High tech computers lined the walls. Piper walked out to the edge of the ramp and down below sat the Batmobile. She heard squeaks above her and she looked up to see bats waking from their sleep. She turned back to Bruce.

"You…you're Batman."

Bruce nodded. Piper then looked at Dick.

"And that means, you're Robin. You're the Dynamic Duo."

"I wanted to tell you last night Piper," Dick said. "When you said that you wished that Batman and Robin would one day save you from your dad and that you could join them. I wanted to tell you that had already happened."

"Piper, besides pickpocketing and throwing knives, what are your skills?" Bruce asked.

"I don't have any Bruce. Not yet at least."

"Good," Bruce smiled. "We'll start training after lunch then shall we?"

Piper smiled. "Me? Training with Batman and Robin?"

Dick took her arm and smiled. "You are part of the family now."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Piper sat in her room looking out the window. The hot summer months had melted away and now Gotham was engulfed in the colors of autumn. Her room had changed drastically in the past few months. The walls had been repainted from cream to a light blue, which was Piper's favorite color. Most of the clothes in her closet were hand-me-downs from Dick. She wasn't into the new fashion among most girls her age. Her eleventh birthday was coming up soon, and she was dropping hints on what she wanted as a present. While most girls would ask for clothes or dolls, Piper was hinting toward a new set of throwing knives.

She walked out of her room and walked down the stairs and into the den. The den was a medium sized room tucked away behind the living room. Black leather couches sat in the middle of the room with a giant flat screen TV plastered to the opposite wall. She dropped down on one of the couches and turned the TV on. A few minutes later, Dick walked into the room.

"I heard the TV on," he said as he sat down next to her. "Anything good?"

"There's a murder mystery show, the news, Spongebob Squarepants, and some public service announcement thing about safety. Those are just the things that might interest you."

"Go to the murder mystery."

Piper flipped the channel. In the show, a young woman walked into her apartment. Lying on the floor was a dead man, surrounded by blood with multiple holes in his chest and head.

"Shot to death poor devil," Dick said.

"This is just a show."

"Once you start field work, you'll see it's not just fiction."

The woman in the show screamed then it cut to the opening credits and went to commercial. When the show came back, the detectives were standing at the crime scene. They took pictures of the body and bagged all evidence they could find. They introduced a few more suspects.

"The brother did it," said Dick.

Piper looked at him. "How do you know?"

"The dead guy was seeing his brother's girlfriend. He said he was over it, but his tone told me that he wasn't. He still held a grudge. And grudges like that can be dangerous or even deadly."

They fell silent again and finished the show. Just as Dick had predicted, the brother did it.

"I thought the butler always did it," Piper said.

"Butlers always do what Miss Piper?" Alfred's voice came from behind them, making them jump.

"Uh, nothing Alfred," Piper said with a smile. She turned off the TV and turned around. "Is Bruce home yet?"

"He's on his way." Alfred exited the room.

"Awesome." She and Dick stood up and followed Alfred to the study. They opened the elevator door and took the ride down to the Batcave. Dick raced out and flipped off the side of the ramp. Piper jumped off, took out her grappling gun, and shot it at the ceiling. It hooked onto the top and she dropped down to the Batmobile's parking platform.

"You are just making me feel bad," Alfred said with a chuckle as he walked down to them.

"Sorry," Dick said. "I just feel so free in here."

"Which is ironic," said Piper, "seeing as this is an underground cave."

They heard the sound of the door to the Batcave open. Dick and Piper jumped out of the way as the Batmobile screeched to a stop. Batman jumped out.

"Bruce!" Piper called as she ran to him. He picked her up and hugged her.

"How was your day Piper?" he asked.

"It was good. Dick and I just watched this murder mystery show and Dick figured out who did it ten minutes into the episode. It was so cool!"

Bruce rubbed Dick's head. "Good job kiddo."

Dick giggled. "Thanks."

Piper saw something move inside the car and looked at it. A small head with black hair popped up over the windshield.

"Bruce…there's someone in your car," Piper said.

"What?" Dick looked at the car and saw the little boy. "Bruce, who-"

"No cause for alarm," Bruce said. "Dick Grayson, Piper Baker, this is Jason Todd. He's going to be your little brother."

"Wait…really?" Piper asked.

"Really," Bruce said with a smile. He turned to Alfred. "Alfred, could you prepare the spare room next to Piper's room for Jason?"

"Sweet!" Piper said. "He's next to me!"

"Of course Master Bruce." Alfred walked to the elevator and went up.

The four stood in silence for a moment. Piper looked at her new brother and smiled.

"So how did Bruce find you Jason?"

Jason looked shamefully toward the ground. "Hijacking his car."

Piper threw her head back and laughed. Jason looked even more ashamed. She put her hand on his shoulder. "You want to know how Bruce found me?"

Jason nodded.

A big grin spread over her face. "He caught me stealing some rich guy's wallet."

"Now, Piper," Dick said. "Don't give Jason any ideas."

"Well, we have something in common." She put her arm around his shoulder and gave Dick and Bruce a thumbs up. "We're both ex-criminals."

Jason gave a little chuckle. He put his arm around her and gave another thumbs up. He looked up at Piper. "Your name's Piper right?"

"Yeah."

"Can I call you Pip?"

Piper smiled at her new nickname. "Of course you can. Can I call you Jay?"

"Only when you want to," Jason said smiling.

"Come on you two," Dick said. "Let's give Batman the chance to change. We'll see you upstairs Bruce."

Before they walked up to the elevator, Jason threw his arms around Bruce. He looked up at him with a smile. "This is the best day of my life."

**Welcome to the story Jason! :) Glad you could make it! Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Two years later, early in the morning on a cold October day, Piper and Dick faced each other in the Batcave.

"You ready for this Piper?" Dick asked mockingly.

Piper punched her fist into her other hand. "You know it."

Dick struck first. He hooked his right fist, aiming for Piper's head. She ducked and threw her fist at Dick's gut. He grabbed her arm, flipped over her back, and flung her across the room. Piper hit the floor, knocking all the air out of her body. Dick walked over and extended his hand. She took it and he helped her up.

"Not fair Dick," she panted. "I thought we agreed; no acrobatics."

"Sorry about that Pip. Instinct."

Piper suddenly crouched down and lashed her foot out, knocking Dick off his feet and onto his back.

"Ow," was all he could manage.

Piper looked down at him and held out her hand. She smirked. "Instinct."

Dick let out a winded laugh. "We're even."

Alfred came down through the elevator. "Sorry in interrupt your morning training, but Master Bruce has asked me to remind you about school. Master Jason is already at the bus stop.

"Oh shoot!" Piper ran to the Batmobile and pulled her backpack out of the passenger seat. She then grabbed Dick's bag and through it at him.

"Miss Piper," Alfred said, "I'm not sure if Master Bruce wants you putting your stuff in his car."

"Eh, I'm sure he won't mind." Piper and Dick ran up the ramp to the elevator and jumped inside. They rode up and bolted out the front door.

"Bye Bruce!" They yelled in unison.

"Bye you two!" Bruce's voice echoed behind them. The school bus stop was at the bottom of the hill. They ran at top speed to catch it. They jumped on right as the doors were closing.

"Sorry," Dick mumbled to the driver.

The bus, as usual, was crowded. There were two open seats in the back. Jason sat in one of them. Piper slid into the one next to Jason's first then Dick sat down next to her. They took advantage of the bus's noise.

"How did the mission go last night?" Piper whispered.

"Pretty well, actually. We managed to get Bane behind bars. Kobra got away though."

"You'll get him next time. I know you will."

"Well, well, well, Dickie boy and his little sister and brother." Piper and Dick looked up and saw Philip Marvin poking his head over the seat. "What should we taunt you about today?"

"Get lost Philip," Piper said.

Dick put his hand on her shoulder protectively. "What's your taunt today? The same one it was yesterday?"

Philip laughed. "How about Bruce Wayne? Or Jason? Why is he such a loner?"

"Yup, same one as yesterday," Piper mumbled. "Leave Jason out of this jerk."

"Do they ever actually spend time with you guys?"

Jason was about to get up and punch him, but Piper held up her hand.

"Before you actually start your taunts, Philip," Piper said, "You're not sitting in your seat correctly."

Philip stared at her. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, in about five seconds, the driver is going to look in the mirror, like he does every two minutes, and see you sitting wrong. He'll stop the bus and then move you up front where he can keep a better eye on you. So, long story short…you're going to be in trouble."

"Yeah right you little-" Philip's sentence stopped short when the bus jerked to a stop. The bus driver stood up and marched to Philip's seat.

"You're not sitting properly," the driver said. "Move up to the front please."

"But-"

"Move!"

Philip grabbed his bag and stormed his way to the front. Dick, Piper, and Jason looked at each other then laughed.

"And that stops the taunts until we get to school," Piper said.

"I could've helped myself," Jason said. "You didn't have to do that."

Piper smiled at him. "It's what older sisters do."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

After school that day, Piper, Dick, and Jason were on the basketball court with their friend Barbara Gordon. They were playing H.O.R.S.E. when a black car pulled up in front of the school. Alfred stepped out of the car and motioned for them. They said goodbye to Barbara and ran over to Alfred.

"What's up Alfred?" Dick asked. "Is everything ok?"

"Everything is just fine Master Dick. But Master Bruce has a bit of a surprise for you three. Hop in."

"Shotgun!" Piper yelled.

"What, no fair!" Dick protested.

"You got it last time! It's my turn."

"That means next time it's my turn," said Jason.

They climbed into the car and pulled away from the school.

"So what's this big surprise Alfred?" Dick asked.

"If I tell you Master Dick, it won't be a surprise."

"I bet it's a new training robot," Piper said.

"New gadgets maybe?" Jason suggested.

"Or maybe he finally got a music station in the Batmobile," Dick added.

"That would make the drive more enjoyable." Piper said. They laughed.

"Good job nabbing Philip this morning by the way," Dick said.

Piper grinned. "All part of the strategy."

"If I may Miss Piper, that is the exact reason Batman calls you Athena."

"I know that already Alfred. I love the outfit too. Bruce should be a designer."

"I'm sure in another life he was," Alfred said with a smile. They continued driving.

The car pulled into the driveway of Wayne Manor. Jason opened his door and stepped out. Dick jumped out of the car and opened the car door for Piper.

"Why thank you good sir," Piper said with a smile. "Piggy back? We can count it as training."

Dick turned his back to her. "Hop on."

Piper jumped onto his back and hung onto his shoulders. "Forward trusty steed!"

Dick started running on the lawn with Piper laughing on his back being chased by Jason. Alfred walked behind the three, carrying their backpacks. He smiled as he watched them run around the front yard.

"Ready Piper?" Dick yelled over his shoulder.

A wide grin spread across Piper's face. "Ready!"

"One, two, three!"

On three, Piper brought her feet up and put them on Dick's back. She climbed up onto his shoulders and launched herself from his shoulders. In the air, Piper did a flip. When she hit the ground, she went into a somersault and came up on her feet. She turned back and looked at Dick and Jason, who stared her in amazement.

"How was that?"

"Awesome!" Dick said. "I wasn't expecting the flip."

"Something I've been practicing."

"Dick! Piper! Jason!" Bruce was standing on the front porch. He was smiling at them. "Come on in! There's someone I want you to meet."

The three looked at each other and ran up to Bruce.

"Who is it?" Piper asked.

"Is it another business partner?" Jason whined.

"No, Jason. Not this time. Go on in." They started walking in. Bruce put his arm in front of Piper and stopped her. She looked up at him confused. "Piper, you need to be careful about what you show off. Someone might figure things out if they recognize one of your maneuvers."

"I'm sorry Bruce."

"Just be aware." Bruce leaned in closer to her face. "Nice move by the way. Athena." He winked at her.

Piper smiled. "Thank you Batman," she whispered. She walked into the house and saw Dick and Jason standing and staring into the living room. Piper walked up behind them and put her hand on Jason's shoulder. "Guys?"

She looked into the living room. Sitting on the couch, facing the fireplace, was a young boy. He was staring down into the fire. His black hair was messy, but he was wearing nice clothes. He looked about nine years old.

"Who is that?" Piper whispered to Dick.

Bruce walked up behind them. "Piper, Dick, Jason, this is Tim Drake."

The boy turned around. His green eyes were bloodshot, like he hadn't slept in days. He rubbed them and looked at the three kids.

"Tim, this is Piper. She's twelve." Piper waved at the boy. "This is Dick. He's thirteen. And this is Jason. He's eleven. Kids, Tim is going to be staying with us for a while."

"Wait, as in…live here?" Dick asked.

Piper turned excitedly to her brothers. "Do you realize what this means guys?"

"Of course we do," Jason said.

The three ran over to Tim and engulfed him in hugs.

"We've got a little brother!" they said together.

Tim looked at Bruce, who winked at him. Alfred walked into the room and whispered in Bruce's ear. His expression hardened.

"Dick, time to go."

The hug ended. Piper looked at Bruce and then at Dick. "Oh, it's one of those." Jason walked out and Piper turned to Tim. "Come on, I'll show you around." As Piper walked by, she leaned toward Dick.

"Good luck," she whispered.

Dick nodded and followed Bruce into the study.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Piper took Tim upstairs.

"So this is the second floor. Has Bruce shown you your room yet?"

"No, not yet." He even sounded tired.

"Well, this is my room and Dick's is right next door. I think there's an empty room on the other side of Dick's. The room next to mine is Jason's. He's probably down in the basement. He's a little headstrong, but he's pretty cool."

Tim just nodded at this information. "Tell me your name again."

"It's Piper. Piper Baker. But you can call me Pip. That's what Jason and Dick call me."

"Your last name's not Wayne?"

"No, I decided to keep my last name out of memory of my mother."

"How long have you lived with Mr. Wayne?"

"About two years." She smiled. "And you can call him Bruce."

Tim nodded. "Where did they go?"

"Who? Dick and Bruce? There was a meeting at the office that Bruce wanted Dick to shadow."

He shook his head. "You're wrong. They're out saving Gotham aren't they?"

Piper's heart leaped into her throat. "Out saving Gotham? Why would they be out-"

"They're Batman and Robin." They stood there in silence, staring at each other.

Piper grabbed Tim's shoulders. "How did you know? Who told you?"

"No…no one told me," Tim said. "I figured it out myself. I went to a show at the Haly Circus. A few years later I saw Robin do the same moves as Dick Grayson. I thought about it for a while and confronted Bruce, and then he proved me right."

Piper released her grip. "So that's why Bruce wants me to be careful about what I show off. So do you know who I am?"

"You're Athena."

"He knows," Piper mumbled to herself. She looked over the balcony and looked down at Alfred. "Do you think I can give a real tour?"

"If he knows Miss, I doubt it would hurt," he said smiling.

"Awesome! Come on Tim. You haven't seen anything yet."

"Batcave?"

Piper smiled. "Batcave."

Piper and Tim ran down the stairs and bolted past Alfred.

"Study!" She called out to Tim. They ran into the study and Tim followed Piper up to the grandfather clock. She reached up and pushed the button. The clock rose up and Piper and Tim stepped into the elevator. The doors slid close behind them and the elevator began its descent.

"Ready to see it?" Piper asked.

Tim grinned. "You bet."

The doors open and Tim stepped into the Batcave for the first time. Down below, they could see Jason, fighting hand-to-hand with a training robot.

"Wow. This is incredible." Tim said.

Piper laughed. "You should've seen me when I first came here." She waved at Jason. "Hey Jay!"

"Hey Pip!" He waved and quickly turned back to the robot.

Suddenly there was a loud rumble and the sound of a speeding car echoing through the Batcave. Jason shut the robot off and faced the entrance runway.

"That would be them," said Piper.

"That was quick," Jason mumbled.

A few moments later, the Batmobile rolled into the cave. Batman and Robin jumped out of the car.

"Wait a minute," Piper said. "Something's wrong."

"Wrong?" Tim asked. "What makes you say that?"

"They're back too soon." Piper ran down the ramp to Bruce and Dick. "What happened?"

Bruce sighed. "It went wrong. The villain got away."

"Bruce," Dick was leaning against the car. He face was contorted in pain and was reaching down toward his leg. "Bruce."

"Dick?" Bruce walked around the Batmobile to him. "What's wrong?"

Piper walked over and Dick put his arm around her shoulders. Jason put his hand on Dick's shoulder. "What happened bro?"

"I think my leg caught on something."

Piper looked down at Dick's leg. A long jagged cut ran down his shin.

"We need to get him upstairs," Bruce said. "Alfred will know exactly what to do."

Piper and Jason helped Dick hobble to the elevator and they went up. Bruce turned to Tim. "I take it Piper showed you this?"

Tim nodded. "She said I could see it since I was now part of the family."

Bruce scratched his head. "You're too young for the field work. As you can see, it's dangerous."

Tim looked at the elevator. "Is he ok?"

"He was a little careless. Riddler must've caught him with a knife."

"The Riddler?"

"Yes, the Riddler. You'll get used to it Tim. I promise." Bruce glanced up at the elevator. "Come on, we should go up to the house."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Upstairs, Dick sat on the couch of the living room with his legs up. Piper was standing and leaning against the back. She and Dick were holding hands. Alfred was kneeling by Dick's leg, cleaning the cut. Every now and then, sharp pains would shoot up his leg, and he would squeeze Piper's hand. Bruce and Tim came up to him.

"Where's Jason?" Bruce asked.

"He went to his room sir," Alfred said. "To finish his homework."

"Are you ok Dick?" Tim asked.

Dick gritted his teeth. "More or less. It's not too deep, but it hurts."

Piper smacked Dick in the back of his head. "Come on. You're Dick Grayson. It shouldn't hurt that bad."

"Just because I'm Robin doesn't mean I don't still feel pain."

"You broke your arm last year and you didn't even flinch. What about this injury makes you cringe?"

"There is something I noticed about this cut, Miss Piper, that might be making it hurt more than usual," Alfred said. "There's a burn as well."

"A heated knife?" Tim asked.

"I guess so," Alfred said. "Does this mean Master Dick will not be in school tomorrow Master Bruce?"

"He'll be a little late, but he will be in school." Bruce turned to Piper. "Speaking of which, you have homework to do. We'll start Tim on training tomorrow."

"See you at dinner Pip," Dick said.

"Have fun. Come on Tim, we'll get you settled in." Piper and Tim climbed upstairs. Piper stopped as she walked past Jason's room. She opened the door and popped her head in the room. Jason sat at his desk flipping through his textbook.

"Hang on a sec Tim," Piper said. She walked into Jason's room. "You ok Jay?"

"Dick messed up again," he said without looking up at her.

Piper sighed. "Mistakes happen Jason. Nobody's perfect, especially you and me. One day Jason, when you become Robin, you'll understand that making mistakes is part of the gig. We make mistakes so we can learn from them, even if they leave us with scars."

"Bruce could've gotten hurt because of him."

Piper put her arm around Jason's shoulder. "Jay, Bruce can take care of himself. You don't have to worry about him. And don't focus your life on blaming Dick. You know he only disobeys Bruce's orders when someone threatens us."

"I know Pip, but I wish that you two would stop always protecting me. I'm old enough to protect myself. I mean, I still love you and Dick. You're the best siblings any kid could have. But I wish I had more freedom to make my own decisions."

Piper rubbed his hair. "You always have the freedom. I'll talk to Dick, but don't think that's going to stop us from protecting you. You're our little brother. It's what we do. And you know we'd do anything to make sure you stay safe."

Jason closed his textbook and looked up at her. Light shined in his sea green eyes. "Anything?"

She smiled. "Anything. I promise. I won't ever let anything happen to you." She kissed the top of his head. "Now get back to work. Your little brother is outside waiting for me."

He grinned. "My little brother," he said to himself. "I like the sound of that."

Piper went back out of Jason's room and to the spare room. Tim followed her.

"Everything ok?" he asked.

"Yeah, he was just having a hard time with something."

"And you helped him?"

She smiled at him. "Of course. It's what big sisters do. Or what they should do."

"So, where are we going?"

"Well, during our tour of the house, Alfred took the liberty of preparing your room." She opened the door and let Tim walk in. "If you need anything, you know where to find me."

Tim suddenly turned around and charged at Piper. He wrapped his arms around her. "You're going to be the best sister ever."

Piper laughed. "I hope so."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Tim sat in his room at his desk. His homework was spread across the surface. Finally he had it. He stood up and walked over to the punching bag hanging in the corner of his room. He put on his gloves and began punching.

A knock came at his door. "Tim?"

"Come in Pip."

Piper opened the door and walked in. "Tim, do you need help with your homework again?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"You're punching the homework bag."

"Like you had these problems when you were fourteen."

Piper rolled her eyes at him. "Of course I had school problems when I was fourteen. I'm seventeen and I still have trouble. Dick's eighteen and still has trouble. I don't know where you got this idea that you're the only one having a hard time."

Tim let out a long breath. "I'm just stressed that's all. What with Dick off being Nightwing."

"I can understand that. Just be happy the whole superhero bit hasn't gone to his head." Piper smiled at him. "But that's not all that's bothering you is it?"

"No. It's the fact that Bruce has seemed to just, cut off from us. He's nothing like he used to be."

Piper sighed. "Bruce is just busy. Half the day, he's working, and then the other half he's Bruce Wayne. And nothing's been the same to him these past two years."

"But he could at least spare two seconds to say hi to us."

Piper walked up to Tim and hugged her adopted brother. "Just don't aim your frustration on hurting yourself. It's not good for you."

Tim sighed. "To be honest, I'm also a little scared."

"Scared? About what?"

"Well…I'm fourteen."

Piper knit her eyebrows. "…and?"

"Well, that's how old Jason was."

Piper's heart sank as she let out a sigh. She hugged her brother tighter. "Tim, nothing will happen to you."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Piper smiled at him. "Come on. We should Zeta to the Cave. Dick might need us."

In the Cave, Nightwing stood by his holographic computers. Behind him, the Zeta beam tunnels lit up and Athena and Robin walked into the Cave. Athena was wearing her new outfit; a black, sleeveless one piece jumpsuit with gray fingerless gloves and black shin high boots. Her retractable sword and multiple throwing knives hung off her belt. Her short brown hair was tied back into a ponytail. Her mask was a close design to Nightwing's and Robin's.

Robin was wearing his usual outfit; a black and red suit with the "R" insignia and a black cape. His utility belt wrapped around his waist.

"Hey Nightwing," Robin said. "There a mission for us?"

"Not quite yet, Robin. Nice to see you two got here ok."

"We Zeta beamed here," Athena said. "I don't think someone could've attacked us during that time."

"Well you never know."

"Five years and you're still living in middle school. I can protect myself now."

"Hey, it's what brothers do."

Suddenly a map of Gotham appeared. Nightwing turned and looked at it. "There's something going on in east Gotham." He turned his adopted siblings. "You guys want to take this one? I'll go with you of course."

"And Batgirl?" Athena asked.

"She's still in Gotham. I'll radio her and let her know where to rendezvous."

"What are we waiting for?" Robin asked. "Family outings are always fun."

"Then let's get going."

The three walked to the Zeta tubes. Nightwing told the computer to transport them to Gotham and in a few seconds, they were coming out of the hidden tunnel in central Gotham. They jumped on their motorcycles and rode to the coordinates from the Cave.

"Is there any indication as to who this troublemaker is?" Robin asked through the radio com.

"I'm in the process of scanning the area for recent police reports," Nightwing said. "So far there's nothing about-wait! Got something! According to the Commissioner, it's the Joker!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Joker?!" Athena exclaimed. "Nightwing are you sure?"

"Positive. Stay whelmed guys. Things might get ugly."

They continued down the road and were joined by a fourth motorcycle.

"Hey guys," Batgirl said. "What are we up against?"

"Joker," Athena said.

"You're kidding?" Batgirl said. "I thought he was still in Arkham Asylum."

"Apparently not," Robin said.

"Guys," said Nightwing. "We're getting close."

On the side of the road, rubble littered the ground. As they drove farther into east Gotham, the density of the rubble grew. Something in Nightwing's gut told him that something was going to happen. Something that he would regret. He tried to put the feeling out of his mind, but it lingered. At the end of the road, a man stood in the middle of the street, surrounded by fire and laughing.

"That's him," Nightwing said. "Athena and Robin, at the next intersection turn right. Batgirl, turn left. Athena, loop around and come at him from the north. We want to cut him off from possible escape routes."

"Got it," Athena said. "Let's go Robin."

"Be careful guys," Nightwing said.

Athena smiled. "You too."

She and Robin turned the corner. As they drove down the road, Athena and Robin made guesses about what Joker was up to. Robin suggested he was just having fun. Athena laughed nervously. Whatever Joker was doing, it was far more serious than just having fun. He destroyed those buildings somehow.

"Robin, turn on the next road. You know where to come out. Good luck."

"You too Athena."

He turned onto the next road and disappeared. Athena kept on going. The idea of only Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, and her going up against the Joker alone worried her. If something happened to her, even if she got the smallest scrape, Nightwing would activate his "protective older brother" mode, and last time he did that, he got a cast on his arm. This time it could be something much worse than a broken arm. She also about Robin. He was still new to his superhero career and made many rookie mistakes. Making those kinds of mistakes around the Joker could prove fatal.

Athena was so lost in thought, that she didn't see the thin rope until it was too late. The rope was attached to either side of the sidewalks, and was almost invisible.

"Uh oh," was all she could manage. In the next second, the front wheel of her motorcycle hit the rope and flipped. Athena was thrown from her bike and skid across the pavement.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

She lay on the ground, dazed and in pain. She tried to get up but as soon as she put pressure on her right leg, she fell back to the ground. She looked at her arms, which were cut up and bleeding.

"Nightwing…" she breathed into her radio com. It was too quiet. She tried again a little louder. "Nightwing."

"Athena?" Nightwing's voice filled her helmet. "Athena where are you? Joker got away because you weren't at your-"

His voice faded out as another wave of pain spread through her body. Athena gritted her teeth. "Help."

Nightwing's tone changed. "Athena?"

"The motorcycle…there was a rope…it flipped…my leg…blood."

Her message got across. "Hold on Athena," Nightwing said, panic on the edge of his voice. "I'll be there soon."

Athena stayed on the ground. She reached up and pulled off her helmet, ignoring the sharp white pain in her arms. A few agonizing moments later, Nightwing pulled up on his motorcycle. He stopped, jumped off, and ran toward her. He fell down on his knees next to her.

"Piper," Nightwing whispered. "What's hurt?"

Athena looked up at him. "My leg. My right one. I think it's broken. And my arms." Athena took in a breath through gritted teeth. "I'm sorry Dick. I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. And the Joker got away because of me."

"Shhh, Piper. I'm sorry. It wasn't you're fault and I shouldn't have gotten at you about it. We'll find him, I promise."

Suddenly, a man stood over Athena and laughed. "Or maybe he'll find you."

A foot lashed out and stuck Nightwing across his face. He rolled a few feet away from Athena. He shook his head and looked back towards Athena and the man.

"Hello, Nightwing," Joker said with a smile. "You're so grown up now."

"Joker," Nightwing's voice was now full of anger. "Don't you dare do anything to her. If you get another inch closer, you'll regret it."

The Joker laughed. "And you're going to make me?"

Nightwing grunted in frustration and jumped to his feet. He began to charge at Joker.

"Ah, that's not such a good idea," Joker said. He pulled out a knife and held it over Athena. "Don't even think about it. You know what comes next if you take another step closer."

Nightwing stopped dead in his tracks. He balled his fists. "That's a coward move Joker. Put down the knife. Leave her out of this."

"I'm sorry, but that's not how these things work. You know that Nightwing." An evil smile spread across Joker's face. "And besides, my fun is just beginning." Joker stomped down on Athena's injured leg. She screamed in pain.

"No!" Nightwing lunged at Joker. A cloud of smoke engulfed him and Athena. Nightwing came falling out on the other side. He whirled around.

"ATHENA!" He ran back into the smoke. Nightwing waved his arms around, spreading out the smoke so he could see. "No…"

Nightwing fell to his knees right where Athena had once been. She and Joker had disappeared.

"Piper."

Back at the Cave, Nightwing was pacing back and forth, trying to come up with a plan to rescue Athena. Robin and Batgirl were standing off to the side watching him.

"Nightwing it wasn't your fault," Batgirl said. "We'll find her."

"But it was my fault. I was standing right there. I was there and I didn't do anything!"

"But what could you do?" Robin asked. "He was threatening to kill her."

"How can you be so calm? She's your sister too. And if you saw her the way I did…"

Robin walked up to Nightwing and grabbed his arm. "Dick, we are going to find her."

Nightwing took a deep breath. "And here's what I need to do."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Athena lay on her back, staring up at the cracked gray ceiling of her imprisonment room. Her leg still felt as though it was on fire and her arms were impossible to move. She'd been laying in the same place for hours. Every few minutes, the Joker would walk in, kick her, and then walk back out. So far, he hadn't used his knife in anyway.

Her heart pounded as she heard the door open and the Joker walked in once again. This time, he held a long metal rod in his hand.

"You know, something about this seems really familiar." He looked down at her and grinned. "You wouldn't happen to know a nice young man named Jason Todd do you?"

Athena's heart beat faster. "Jason?"

"So you do know him. Or, knew him, would be the better phrase. Well just be happy I'm not in the mood to blow you and the building up." He raised the rod and brought it down across her gut. Athena rolled on her side and curled into a ball. She was in the same room with Jason's murderer. If she had any strength left, she would've taken him out then and there.

"Oh I'm sorry did that hurt?" He turned back to the door. "See you in a few minutes my dear." Joker walked out and closed the door behind him.

Athena rolled onto her back. She ignored the pain in her arms as she propped herself on her elbows then pushed herself up against the wall so she was sitting up. A few seconds later the Joker popped his head back in the room.

"By the way, you wouldn't happen to know when Nightwing is going to show up do you? I'm dying to know if he'll chose your life over his own." He laughed and closed the door.

Athena processed what Joker had just said. _Your life over his own. _Her eyes widened in terror.

"No, no, no," she whispered. "Dick, wherever you are, please, stay there." Joker was going to kill him.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Robin asked through his com. He was standing on the roof of the building adjacent to the Joker's supposed hideout.

"Positive," Nightwing responded. "I did background checks on this place. Batman had to deal with countless villains in there. It's like villain central. What better place for the Joker to hide?"

"So what's the plan of action?" Batgirl asked.

"You and Robin stay on the roofs of the buildings adjacent to this one. I'll signal you if I need help."

"And you're just going to walk through the front door?" Robin asked.

"That's the plan."

"Why can't I go with you? You said so yourself. She's my sister too."

"I don't want you to get hurt."

"But I don't care-"

"I do. Rather me than you. Stay alert. I'm going in."

Robin looked at Batgirl across the way. She shrugged and looked back down at the ground. Nightwing took out his Eskrima sticks, twin fighting sticks, and prepared himself. He kicked down the front door and walked in.

Robin's voice came in over Nightwing's radio. "That wasn't very subtle you know."

"I don't care right now Robin." Nightwing continued into the dim lit building. Old wooden storage bins lined the walls and were stacked three at a time. Nightwing walked with caution, constantly turning around to make sure no one was behind him. Up ahead was an old wooden staircase. Nightwing looked up and around. The second floor was mostly dark. A balcony looped around the perimeter. He began climbing the stairs. On the second floor, there was a series of doors on both sides. He walked up against the wall, putting his ear up to the doors to see if he could hear someone on the other side.

"Nightwing come in," Batgirl said over the radio. "Have you found her?"

"Not yet," Nightwing whispered.

"Do you need backup?" Robin asked.

"No, stay where you are. We'll be out soon. Nightwing out."

A small voice came from the other side of one of the doors. It was quiet, but he could've sworn it said "Nightwing."

He reached down and tried the handle. It was unlocked. He pushed the door open and saw Athena leaning against the far wall.

"Piper," he said as he ran to her side. He looked at her arms, which were still bleeding. Her face was spotted with bruises and one of her hands was clutching her gut. "Piper, what happened?"

"Dick, you shouldn't be here," Athena said through forced breaths.

"What do you mean I shouldn't be here?" Nightwing said confused. "I'm here to get you out."

"You don't understand." She cringed in pain. "He's planning something. Something that's going to result in your death."

"Well he's not getting to me before I get you out of here." Nightwing put his arms under Athena's body and lifted her so he was carrying her like a baby. She gasped in pain when he touched her arms. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Nightwing carried her out of the room and back down the stairs. "Robin, Batgirl, move in," Nightwing ordered over the com.

"We're on our way," Robin responded.

"Nightwing stop," Athena whimpered. "Please stop"

"What's wrong?"

"My arms. I can't feel my arms."

"We can't stop yet Athena. Hang on just a bit longer."

Nightwing carried her out of the building and met Robin ad Batgirl in the street.

"Where are the bikes?" Nightwing asked.

"Where we left them; around the corner," Robin answered. "Where's Joker?"

"Don't know and right now I don't care. We have to get her back to the Cave. Batgirl, go on ahead and radio Batman. He has to know what happened."

Batgirl nodded and ran off to the bikes. Robin looked at Athena. He reached out and took her hand.

"Piper," he whispered.

"Tim, now's not the time," Nightwing said. "We need to get her home."

Robin nodded. "Right."

The two ran off to the bikes. Robin got onto his bike and started its engine. Nightwing put Athena on the back seat of Robin's bike.

"Piper, you need to hang onto Tim. And Tim, make sure she doesn't fall off."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Robin said.

"Get to the Zeta tubes and head to the Cave then go home. I'll follow."

"Right. Hang on Pip." Robin revved up the engine and zoomed off toward the Zeta tunnel. Nightwing stood and watched them disappear. He took off his mask and rubbed his eyes. He then put his mask back on. Suddenly the radio com ringer went off.

"Nightwing."

"Dick." It was Batman. "Where are you?"

"East Gotham. Just a few blocks from the Baker house."

"Where is Piper?"

"She's with Tim on their way back to the Cave. Bruce, it was him."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Piper woke up back in her room at Wayne Manor. She lifted her throbbing head and looked down at her body. Her arms were in clean bandages and her right leg was propped up and in a splint. She looked over in the corner and saw Dick, Tim, and Bruce standing in a triangle, talking amongst themselves.

"Morning, boys," Piper croaked.

All three of them slightly jumped at the sound of her voice. Dick walked over to her first and kissed her forehead.

"You scared me. Don't do that again."

Piper smiled. "I'll try not to. Does everything I do scare you?"

"Almost everything."

She turned to Bruce. "Did you find Joker?"

Bruce shook his head. "Dick and I looked everywhere. Joker just disappeared. And until we find him, for your protection, you are suspended from field work."

"What?!" Piper sat straight up, ignoring the pain that told her to lie back down. "You can't do that Bruce!"

Bruce sat on the edge of her bed. "Piper, the Joker set that trap for you."

Piper looked at Dick confused. Joker set up the trap for Dick, not her. She was the bait. Piper was about to tell Bruce, but Dick shook his head. She closed her mouth and looked back at Bruce.

"I don't want you anymore hurt than you are," Bruce continued.

Piper lowered her head. "I'm sorry Bruce. I wasn't paying attention. If I wasn't thinking so hard, I would've seen that wire in time."

"What were you thinking about?"

Piper looked back at Dick and Tim. Could she tell Bruce she was worried about her brothers? She wanted to, but she didn't want Bruce to think they were in trouble too and suspend them too. They'd never forgive her.

"It was just…well, I was back in east Gotham and…well you know."

Bruce nodded. "I know." He slapped his hands on his thighs and stood. "You should rest some more. Alfred will bring you dinner."

"Bruce," Piper said. She paused for a minute and looked at him in the eye. "He mentioned Jason."

A look of sadness and guilt spread across Bruce's face. Dick looked at Bruce, expecting him to say something. Instead, he walked to the door and left. Tim and Dick looked at Piper.

"Why did you tell him that?" Dick asked. "You know how sore that subject is."

"Of course I do. Bruce wasn't the only one upset by Jason's death. I stayed in my room crying for a week remember? Besides, he had a right to know."

"Jason? Joker mentioned Jason? Why?" Tim asked.

"Joker was the one who killed him," Dick said. "That's Bruce's biggest regret; not getting there in time. It took us a week to get the full story out of him. I wasn't as close to Jason as Piper or Bruce, but he was still like my little brother."

"Is that why you're so protective of us? Because you couldn't protect Jason?"

"One of the reasons. Some of Bruce's regret rubbed off on me and so now it's my goal not to have a repeat."

"Ok, enough with Jason. You guys are going to make me cry. So Dick, why can't we tell Bruce who the Joker is really set that trap for?" Piper asked. "We both know the Joker is after you. Are you just afraid he'll suspend you too?"

"Wait, wait, wait, rewind," Tim said. "Joker's after Dick? That makes no sense. Why would Joker go after him?"

Dick shrugged. "There could be many reasons. During my time as Robin, I helped Bruce many times against the Joker. I could've done something to make him mad."

"But how do _you_ know?" Tim asked Piper.

"Joker told me himself," Piper said. "He said wondered if Dick would choose my life over his." Piper paused. "There was something familiar about Joker though. When he would attack me, it reminded me of-" Her eyes drifted to the window.

Worry passed over Dick's face. "Reminded you of who?" he asked.

"He reminded me of my dad." Piper thought about that for a moment. "But that couldn't be possible. My dad's in jail, or he's dead. Not that I care. After what he did to mom and Jason."

A silence filled the room. Tim gently put his hand on hers. "Pip, you should sleep."

They heard the door open and Alfred popped his head into the room. "Excuse me but there's a call from Commissioner Gordon. He's in need of the help of Batman, Robin, and Nightwing."

"Not Athena?" Piper asked.

"I'm afraid not Miss. Master Bruce told him what happened."

"Great, now everyone knows."

Dick sighed. "Pip, just take it easy. Don't do anything stupid while we're gone ok?"

Piper laughed. "I'll try not to."

Dick and Tim ran out of the room. Piper swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"You're foot is not broken Miss Piper," Alfred said. "It was a sprain. Your worse injuries were on your arms." He paused. "I heard he talked about Master Jason."

Piper nodded. Now, two years later, Jason's death still haunted her. She should've gone with him. His death plagued her dreams. She could see him struggling to stay alive. She saw the building explode around him. She shook the thoughts out of her mind and changed the subject. "I've been suspended Alfred. I don't want to be stuck here. I want to help."

"And you can. Has Master Bruce shown you yet?"

"Shown me what?"

Alfred picked up crutches and brought them over to Piper. "If you would be so kind as to try and follow me."

Piper grinned. "With pleasure."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"Alfred this is amazing!" Piper exclaimed. She was standing in the Batcave, surrounded by 3D holographic computers.

"Master Bruce thought it would be appropriate for you to have. And since you can't go on the missions, these computers give you 3D images of the cities, individual buildings, and people. You can scan the perimeter and find the best strategy of attack and report it to Nightwing and the Team."

"That's so cool! So I could look up where they are now?"

"Possibly. You need coordinates or the name of the place." Alfred smiled. "How about you play around with the images, just for now? And then the next time there's a mission, it will be the real deal."

Piper sighed. "Ok." She thought about a place to look up. She typed in "Alpha's Storage Warehouse" on the holographic keyboard. In a few seconds, a 3D image of the building where Joker had taken her floated before her. She lifted her hands and zoomed in. Piper entered the word "interior" and the computer took her inside the doors. It was like she was standing in the building all over again. She looked around and found the stairs. Piper put her hand out and made a downward motion. She was now at the top of the stairs. Piper found the door to the room where she'd been held and opened it. Of course, she knew it was just a hologram, but it was so detailed that if it wasn't all blue and white, she would've believed she was still inside. She looked around the room and found all the possible escapes routes she could've taken. Then something on the floor caught her eye. It was a patch of dried blood. Her blood.

She brought up the keyboard again and exited the building hologram. Alfred was staring at her with concern.

"Is everything alright Miss Piper?"

Piper nodded. "It's just extremely detailed. How did Bruce put this together?"

"Oh you know Master Bruce," Alfred said with a smile. "He always has his ways." He motioned toward the elevator. "Shall we go now? Perhaps you could help me with dinner."

"Aren't I supposed to be resting?" Piper asked with a smirk.

"Well, you can just say you were in rehabilitation."

"Alfred?"

"Yes Miss Piper?"

Piper smiled. "I like the way you think."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

A week later, Piper and Tim sat in Piper's room on the comfy chairs by the window overlooking Gotham. They were having the afternoon snacks that Alfred brought them. The sun was hidden behind the dark storm clouds, casting a dark shadow over the otherwise cheery room. The subject of the conversation changed many times, but they always came back around to the Joker. Since the incident last week, Dick and Bruce had been working twice as hard to find him. But they've had no luck. Piper and Tim threw in multiple suggestions to his whereabouts, but each time they looked it up on Piper's computers, results came up empty.

Piper could now put more pressure on her foot. She still had a limp, but she stopped using her crutches. Her arms were still bandaged, despite her pleas to remove the bandages. She had also decided that she might need sleeves on her costume. Tim suggested she change it completely, which resulted in a ten minute argument over the design.

Outside the rain started to come down. Piper was busy drawing in her sketchbook, trying to figure out the new design. She still had the black pants and boots, but now the shirt was long-sleeved, skin tight with a shield design in the center. She stopped drawing and showed it to Tim.

"Looks ok to me," he said with a shrug.

"I feel like it's missing something."

"A utility belt?"

Piper laughed. "That would ruin the whole image. Everyone knows Athena is the only one in the Bat family that doesn't have a utility belt." She laughed again. "No, wait. I know what it's missing." She went back to the drawing and added the belt that held her retractable sword and throwing knives.

Tim leaned over and watched as she drew. "Now that's more like you."

Piper closed the sketchbook and sighed with relief. "I'll show this to Bruce when he gets home from work. I can take the plates back into the kitchen. Don't go anywhere."

"Not planning on it."

Piper stood and took the plates. She walked out of the room and down the stairs. She peered into the living room. Alfred had a fire going in the fireplace, the light flickering through the room. She remembered the day Tim arrived, standing in front of the fireplace with is tired eyes. She looked over at the couch where Dick had come home from a mission with that long jagged cut. He still had a scar from that. Every now and then, Piper would spot a speck of blood on the couch from when Alfred patched Dick up that eluded the cleaning. She also remembered when she and Jason would just sit and talk on those couches.

Piper continued into the kitchen and set the plates down in the sink. Alfred was nowhere in sight, which meant he was probably down in the Batcave dusting the equipment. Piper took in the silence. She leaned on the edge of the counter and looked out the small window above the sink. A few yards away sat the Wayne family cemetery. Piper could see the gray headstones rising out of the earth. The rain was coming down harder now. Puddles were forming in the grass and mist hung around the tops of the trees. Guilt formed in the pit of her stomach. If she had seen that wire earlier, she could've avoided it. The Joker would be behind bars and in a straightjacket. Her train of thought then switched to Jason. A wave of sadness spread throughout her body. She and Jason were never the closest, but they were close enough. He trusted her and she trusted him. They always had each other's backs. She looked back out the window and saw Jason's headstone facing towards her. Tears stung her eyes. Her mind went back to that day.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Piper was watching TV in the den with Dick and Tim. Dick was 16, Piper was 15 and Tim was 12. This was when Dick was trying to establish himself as Nightwing and Jason was the new Robin. Jason had disappeared again, so they thought he was just out somewhere letting off steam. There had been an argument between Bruce and Jason again. Piper had offered to go with him to help clear his head, but Jason said he wanted to be alone. She respected her brother's wish. Jason climbed onto his bike in his guise of Robin and drove away. That was the last time Piper saw him.

Later that night, Alfred went up to Bruce and whispered something in his ear. Piper strained to hear, but all she picked up was Alfred saying "it's Jason," and she knew in an instant something was wrong with Jason. Bruce immediately ran out of the room and down to the Batcave. Piper and Dick followed.

"Bruce please," Dick said. "Let us go."

"No, you have to stay here."

"Why?" Piper protested. "He's our brother. If something's wrong, we have every right to go along and help him. I promised I'd do anything for him. I can't back out on that now when he needs us the most."

"Stay put." Bruce's voice was firm. Dick and Piper gave up. They watched him drive off in the Batmobile, praying that he'd be home in a few hours with Jason.

They waited up all night for him to come home with Jason. Bruce came home later the next day. The three kids and Alfred waited for him in the Batcave. He stepped out of the car. Piper looked in the passenger seat and found it empty.

"Bruce, where's Jason?" she asked, panic in her voice.

Bruce looked at Piper then and the ground. He shook his head.

Piper's heart felt as though it had been ripped out of her chest. "No…Bruce, you don't mean…he can't be!" She dropped to her knees and sobbed. Dick put his hand on her shoulder but she brushed it off.

"I promised him!" she yelled at Bruce. "I promised him I'd do anything to keep him safe! Why didn't you let me go?!"

She shot back up to her feet and ran to the elevator. Once she was back on the house level, she ran into her room and locked the door. Piper didn't come out for a week. She hardly slept, due to nightmares about Jason. It took Dick and Tim months to make her smile again. Once she found out how Jason died, the nightmares only grew worse. If she had been there, if she had kept her promise, Jason would still be alive. She carried as much guilt as Bruce.

There was a fifth room on the second floor that was next to Piper's. That room had been unoccupied for two years. Bruce never let anyone in it. Sometimes, when Bruce was out of the house, Piper would go into the room and clean it up. That was Jason's room. A room full of haunting memories.

"Pip?"

Piper jumped and turned around. She saw Dick standing in the doorway looking at her with concern. He was wearing dark denim jeans and a blue sweater that matched his eyes. She quickly wiped her eyes on her sleeve. Dick walked up to her.

"Are you…ok?"

"Yeah, I just…I had the biggest flashback ever. About Jason."

Dick just nodded. "Joker will be put behind bars permanently. For Jason." He gave her a small smile. "Come here," he said as he opened his arms. Piper fell into them.

"This is getting serious. Way too serious."

"You're not going to back out on the whole superhero gig are you?"

"Of course not. I just don't want you or Tim to end up like me. Or like Jason."

Dick pulled away and put his hands gently on her shoulders. He looked into her eyes. "Piper, I can't promise you that I won't die. If I die a hero, so be it. But I promise, I will never leave you."

Piper opened her mouth to say something when suddenly a loud crash came from upstairs. There was a strange yet familiar laugh and the sound of Tim's voice calling out for Piper and Dick. They raced out of the kitchen and up the stairs to Piper's room. The window was no longer in existence and shards of glass littered the carpeted floor. The seat where Tim sat was empty. And in Piper's seat sat a little clown doll.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Piper and Dick looked at each other then bolted down to the Batcave. Piper set up her computers. She tried tracking Joker, but she couldn't get a fix on him. All the excitement was beginning to get to her head and she felt dizzy. She stumbled but regained her footing. She put her hands on her head.

"He has Tim. I jinxed it."

"You didn't jinx it," Dick replied. He was now in his Nightwing outfit. "Bruce is on his way and Barbara is already a step ahead."

Piper paused. "And me?"

"I need you to stay here. I don't want you to get any more injuries." Piper started to protest. "Pip. Please."

She closed her mouth and nodded. Dick took her hand in his and squeezed it. She flung her arms around him. "Bring him home."

"I will." Dick walked to his motorcycle, revved up the engine, and drove out of the Batcave. As soon as he was gone, Piper called an old friend.

"Hello?" Wally's voice came through the com.

"Wally, its Piper. I need you to do me a favor."

"I thought I was done with favors."

"It's about Tim. Dick needs your help."

Wally paused. "What happened?"

"Joker broke into our house and took him. Dick, Bruce, and Batgirl are all on the move. I need you to help them."

"You said Joker broke into Wayne Manor and took Tim? Then doesn't that mean-" Wally stopped. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Kid Flash out." He hung up.

Piper felt like she'd been hit in the gut. Wally didn't need to finish his sentence. The Joker knew who they were.

She immediately contacted Dick. "He knows who we are."

"What?"

"Dick, he knows who we are! He kidnapped Tim. Not Robin. Tim. He came directly to Wayne Manor. He knows all of us. He knew Jason's name. He knows."

"I'm still going after Tim."

"I'm not telling you not to. Just be careful. You don't know what Joker could do with information like that."

"Piper calm down. I promise I'll be careful."

"Just make sure you keep it."

"Nightwing out." There was a faint click and Dick's com shut off. Piper was left to her computers. What she didn't realize was that Dick had shut off all communications.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"Sure this is the right place Nightwing?"

"Well, this is where Athena told us to go KF."

"Isn't this the same place Joker kept Athena?" Batgirl asked.

"Not sure why he isn't relocating," Kid Flash said.

"There could be lots of reasons," Batman said. "Nightwing, you and I will go in. Kid Flash, run around the perimeter and report back."

"So why couldn't Athena come?" Nightwing asked. "You did tell me not to let her tag along."

"Athena is at home resting. Her identity could've been revealed when the Joker mentioned Jason. She needs time to recover."

_I'm the only one who knows! _Nightwing thought. "Batman you have to know something. The Joker-"

"No one around the perimeter," Kid Flash interrupted.

"Alright. Nightwing, let's go." Batman and Nightwing took out their grappling guns and shot upward. The ends of the cable stuck to the roof and they climbed up.

"Why couldn't we just go through the front door?" Nightwing asked. "That's what I did last time."

"This time might be different," Batman replied. "You have to be careful."

"I'm not a kid anymore Batman. You don't have to worry."

"I have every right to be worried about you kids. Now shut up and climb."

They reached the top and entered through the roof door. Batman took point and led the way down the winding staircase. They were soon dumped out onto the second floor.

"Which room did you find Piper in?"

"Fourth one from the left side of the stairs."

"You take that side then. I'll take this side."

Nightwing retraced his steps and found himself in a state of déjà vu. He stayed close to the shadows. "Tim," he whispered again and again. "You better be here Tim."

"Psst!" Batman's voice echoed. He pointed to the door he was standing in front of. Nightwing nodded and made his way over. Batman pushed the door open and there was Tim, sitting in the middle of the room with his hands tied behind his back. There were no visible injuries on Tim's body, but his eyes were full of fear and shock.

Nightwing and Batman ran to his side. Batman untied him. Tim rubbed his wrists and rested his elbows on his knees. Nightwing reached over and put his hand on the back of Tim's neck.

"We need to go."

"Where's Joker?" Batman asked.

"I…I don't know," Tim said. "He disappeared just before you got here."

"Bruce, we don't have time to go after him. Tim needs help."

"I'm not hurt. In any way. I'm just…scared."

"It's ok Tim," Nightwing said. "We're here and you're going to get out with us. Ok?"

Tim nodded. Batman and Nightwing helped him to his feet. Batman paused. "Wait. Did he unmask you?"

Tim shook his head. "No. I wasn't wearing my mask. Me and Piper were in her room and she went downstairs and then the Joker broke through the window and-"

"Tim, it's ok now," Nightwing said. "Let's go home."

Nightwing helped Tim out of the room and made their way back to the winding stairs. Batman kept looking behind them, looking for Joker. Nightwing grasped his shoulder. "Batman, Joker isn't our priority right now. Tim is."

Batman hesitated. He nodded. "Right. To the roof."

They climbed the stairs and found themselves back on the roof. The grappling hooks were still in place. After Batman checked to make sure they were secured, they climbed down. On the way down, Tim lost his footing. Nightwing reached out to catch him, but Tim was too far away. Before he hit the ground, there was a blur of yellow and red and Tim had disappeared.

"Are you alright?" Kid Flash asked.

Tim nodded slowly. "I, I think so."

Nightwing climbed a little farther down the wall then jumped off and ran to Tim. "Tim are you ok? You scared me!"

"Me and Pip seem to do that a lot huh?"

"More than I care for. Come on, we need to go."

"No," Batman said. "Not until I find Joker."

"This isn't the time for revenge Batman," Nightwing said. "You can avenge Jason some other time, but right now, Tim needs to get as far away from the place as possible. Can't you see he's traumatized by something? Don't you care?"

"Of course I care, but I need to-"

"Batman! The Joker isn't a priority right now." Nightwing turned to Tim. "Come on Tim, we need to get you home." He turned to Kid Flash. "KF, take Tim and run him back to the manor. Piper will be having a fit right now."

"Right," Kid Flash said. "Let's go Tim. Hop on."

Tim jumped on Kid's back and he took off. Nightwing then radioed Batgirl. "Ok Batgirl. Thanks for coming along. Head back to the Cave."

"Roger that Nightwing." There was static then the com shut off.

Nightwing turned to Batman. He narrowed his eyes then walked to his bike.

"Dick wait." Nightwing stopped and Batman walked to him. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. It's just…Jason…"

"I know Jason's death still haunts you. It still hurts Piper and it still upsets me and Tim. She was in tears this morning. But you taught me not to focus my life on revenge. You trained me as Robin so I wouldn't turn out like you. I thought you'd grown out of revenge. But seeking it now would be pointless. Tim and Piper need you right now. You have to be the father they need."

Batman shook his head. "I can't. You have to be the brother they need. I'm not the father they want."

"You were when we were little and you still are." Nightwing turned and walked away to his bike. He got on and rode off, leaving Batman alone in thought.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Early the next morning, Piper woke up early. The sun was just beginning to shine and most of Gotham city lay in darkness. While Piper's window was being repaired, she'd been put in Jason's old room. Being in there didn't help her mind but she managed to sleep a few hours. She climbed out of the bed and put her robe on over her pajamas. She opened the door and went out. Piper walked past her room and Dick's room and stopped in front of Tim's door. She carefully opened it. Inside, Tim lay asleep in his bed. He looked so peaceful, so different from when Wally brought him home the night before. Piper leaned up against the doorframe and watched him sleep. A few minutes later, she heard footsteps coming out of Dick's room. Piper leaned back and saw Dick step out of his room. His hair was messier than usual and his face was twisted in a yawn. He looked over and saw Piper looking at him. She smiled at him then turned back to Tim. Dick walked up and stood next to her.

"He looks so calm," Piper said. Dick nodded in agreement. "What happened last night?"

Dick put his arm around her shoulders and led her downstairs to the living room. They sat down on one of the couches. He told Piper all about the previous night's events. He told her everything, from finding Tim to Dick's conversation with Bruce.

"So Tim is ok?" Piper asked. "He doesn't have any injuries?"

"From what he told us, he didn't feel any kind of pain. There were no visible injuries and he said nothing hurt inside."

"We need to figure this out Dick." Piper closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "He had two opportunities to capture you. But instead he made it all too easy to get away. What is he playing at?"

"It's obvious isn't it? He's setting a bigger trap. Both the so called "traps" have just been attempts at unhinging my mind. Which, to give him credit, he probably already has."

They heard someone clomping down the stairs. They looked over and saw Tim making his way down. Piper stood up and walked to the bottom of the stairs.

"Good morning Tim," she said with a smile.

Tim stopped and stared at her for a moment. He then ran down the stairs and threw his arms around her. Piper was taken by surprise. She then put her arms around him.

"Tim?"

"Piper I'm so happy to see you."

"Tim, you saw her last night," Dick said, with a little laugh.

"He was upset last night. I didn't want to do something to upset him even more." Piper pulled away and looked at Tim. "Do you want some hot chocolate? I'll make it myself."

Tim nodded and sat next to Dick on the couch. Piper went into the kitchen and put the kettle on the stove. She leaned her back against the counter and crossed her arms. She closed her eyes and breathed in the silence and tried to set her mind on an answer to the Joker's strange puzzle. She opened her eyes when the kettle started to whistle. Piper lifted it off the stove and got down three mugs. She emptied equal amounts of the hot chocolate mix into the mugs and added the water. She walked to the fridge, got out the milk, and poured some into hers and Tim's. Piper carefully picked up the mugs and carried them into the living room. She handed Tim and Dick their mugs and then sat down on the opposite couch.

"Tim," Piper took a deep breath. "What happened? What did you see that scared you?"

Tim, who had been gulping down his drink, lowered his mug and hung his head. "Joker…showed me a video. A recording."

"A recording of what Tim?" Dick asked.

Tim took a deep, shaky breath. "It was a video of you Piper. You…you were in pain. A lot of pain. Your arms were bloody and you were coughing. Then and again, the Joker would come in with a metal rod and hit you or kick you then leave you to suffer. I…I couldn't bear to see you like that. I just couldn't…" Tim's eyes started to turn red. Tears began spilling over his eyes. Piper got up from her couch and sat down next to Tim. She put her arms around him and he rested his head on her shoulder and started to cry.

"And Jason…" Tim said in between sobs. "He showed me how he killed Jason."

Dick stretched his arm and put it around Tim and Piper. He looked up over their heads and saw Bruce standing by the door looking at them. There was a certain look of guilt as he watched them. Piper stood up and led Tim to the den. She turned on the giant flat screen TV as Tim sat down. Bruce walked into the room.

"Pip, do you think I could have a moment with Tim?"

Piper blinked. Bruce never called her "Pip." It was the nickname that Jason gave her the first day they met. But no matter how often her brothers used it, Bruce never said it until now. She nodded and went out. As she walked back to the living room Piper looked back over her shoulder and saw Bruce holding Tim, trying to comfort him. In the living room, she sat down next to Dick.

"He's acting like a dad."

"What?"

"Bruce is actually acting like a dad. I guess what you said to him last night got through to him." Piper paused. "I wish you talked to him sooner. He's been avoiding me since I mentioned Jason."

"I talked to him about that too. He'll never be able to get over Jason's death, but I'm sure that one day he'll be able to put it out of his mind enough to spend more time with you and Tim."

"And you. You were his kid first. You should be spending more time with him."

Dick laughed. "I've been fighting by his side for years. I think he's gotten to know me well enough."

Piper looked at him. "You didn't tell him, did you?"

"Tell him what?"

"You didn't tell Bruce that you're the target."

"No, I haven't." Dick looked at her and sighed. He stood up and walked out to the veranda. Piper followed close behind.

"You're not going to get yourself killed are you?" Piper asked.

"I'm not going to try. But if I do protecting you or Tim, then that's fine with me."

Piper playfully punched his arm. "It's you that needs protecting idiot."

Dick wrapped his arms around her. He kissed the top of her head and rocked her back and forth. "This is going to work out Piper. I promise."

"You promise a lot of things Dick."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Piper and Tim stayed home from school for the next three days. Bruce called their school and told the office they were sick. Piper's window was fixed and she had moved back into her room, leaving Jason's room the way it was before. Dick and Bruce had been working nonstop to find Joker. But they had been having no luck.

Back at school, as the sky outside threatened to rain, Piper was walking up to her locker when an old friend bumped into her, shooting pain up her arm.

"Hello Pip," Philip sneered. "Where's Dickie boy?"

"He's sick. Why don't you grow up Philip? You've been doing this since middle school."

Philip grinned. "One can never have too much fun." He looked at Piper's arms and saw the bandages peeping out of her sleeves. "What happened to your arms? Did you fall down and get a booboo?"

"I had a motorcycle accident."

"Oh, so does this hurt?" Philip formed a fist and punched Piper's arm. White hot pain shot through her arm and black spots danced before her eyes. She regained her sense of balance and gritted her teeth. She felt her cuts reopen and the blood seep through the bandage. She looked down at Philip's hand and saw blood on his knuckles.

"So that did hurt," Philip said with an evil grin. He laughed.

"Not as much as this will." Piper lifted her foot and kicked Philip as hard as she could in the crotch. He doubled over in pain and fell to the ground. Philip looked up at her.

"So much more physical now. Jason wouldn't be happy with you. Oh wait, he's dead. How silly of me to forget." He smiled a cruel smile.

Anger filled Piper's body. She grabbed Philip's hair and pulled him up so his eyes met hers. He saw the fire in her eyes. "If you say his name one more time, if you even think about it, I will rip your eyes out of their sockets. And I know how to make it as painful as possible. So I suggest you shut your trap!"

"Piper!"

Piper turned and saw Barbara running her way. "Piper what did you do?"

She dropped Philip. "Oh you know. What I should've done years ago."

"Come on, you need to get to class before someone catches you."

"Too late, Miss Gordon." The two girls turned and saw the principle walking towards them. "Miss Baker, would you be so kind as to follow me to my office?"

"On what terms Mr. Wilson?" Piper asked crossing her arms.

"On the terms that you attacked Mr. Marvin."

"If I may Mr. Wilson," Barbara intervened. "I saw Philip attack Piper first. Piper recently got into a motorcycle accident and her arms were badly injured. Philip here punched one of her arms. He also brought in the matter of her deceased brother, and you know as well as I do how that affects Piper. Now I know that her reaction was not subtle, but don't you think that Philip should be accompanying her to your office?"

"I'm sorry that he mentioned Mr. Todd, but I didn't see Mr. Marvin hit her. Where is your proof?"

Piper lifted up her sleeve. There was a large spot of blood on the bandage. She then grabbed Philip's collar and pulled him to his feet, despite his groans of pain. She grabbed his wrist and held up his hand for Mr. Wilson to see the blood.

"Mr. Marvin!" he exclaimed. "I am shocked that you would do such a thing. Miss Baker, you will receive detention for a week for you actions. But _you_ Mr. Marvin, I will be calling your parents and you are on the road to suspension."

Philip turned angrily to Piper. "One day Baker, I'm going to get you. And Dickie boy."

Piper smirked. "I'd like to see you try."

He smirked back. "And tell Jason I said hello."

Piper marched toward him but Barbara held her back.

"Come along Mr. Marvin," Mr. Wilson said. "As for you Miss Baker, get to your class. But I will be calling Mr. Wayne."

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

"And Miss Gordon, make sure she gets there."

"Yes sir," Barbara replied. "Let's go Pip."

They walked away from the principle and toward their first class.

"Is your arm ok?" Barbara whispered.

"It still hurts but I should be ok. I should've hit him harder. He's no better than Joker."

"He shouldn't have brought Jason into that. Is Dick coming in at all today?"

Piper shrugged. "I'm not sure. He's been spending all his time tracking down Joker. He disappeared from his usual hiding spot."

"How is Tim doing?"

"He's doing better. He's been having a lot of nightmares. He comes into my room and I sit up with him and we just talk. So if I pass out during class today, you'll know why."

Barbara smiled. They walked into their science class and found the room empty. Or almost empty. Dick and Tim sat in the corner deep in conversation. They turned and looked at Barbara and Piper as they walked int.

"Dick?" Piper asked. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming to school today."

"I needed to talk to you." Dick looked at Barbara. "Both of you. I talked to the teacher and told her I needed the room for a private conversation. She'll be back soon though, so we need to hurry."

Piper closed the door. "What's going on?"

Dick motioned them to sit down at one of the lab tables. Tim and Dick sat on one side and Barbara and Piper sat on the other. Tim looked nervously at Dick, then at Piper.

"We received a message from Joker this morning," Dick started. "It was a recording, and we couldn't trace it."

"What was the message," Barbara asked.

"That Nightwing gives himself up, or he can kiss his whole Bat family goodbye."

Piper jumped up from her seat. "You're not going to are you?! You can't!"

"Piper, I-" Dick was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. The teacher had come back. Piper plopped back down into her seat.

"Excuse me Mr. Grayson, but I need my room now. It's class time."

"Thank you Mrs. White for letting us use your room."

"Of course dear. Anytime." Mrs. White walked to the front of the class. Dick and Tim rose from their seats and walked to the door. Piper watched them leave and caught a glance from Tim over his shoulder. That look told Piper everything. She jumped up again and ran after them.

"No! Dick you can't!" Her voiced echoed down the empty hallway

She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry Piper," Barbara whispered. "He won't be alone. Bruce will be with him."

Piper shook off Barbara's hand and ran up to Dick. "Are you out of your mind?! He'll kill you! I won't let you go. Not alone."

"Pip, you're in no condition to go."

"I am! I'm not letting my big brother walk into an obvious trap that'll get him killed! Bruce would never forgive me."

Dick's expression changed. "Bruce…Bruce is busy with his own things."

"Are you saying he doesn't care? Dick that's crazy! You know what would happen to Bruce if the Joker got you too. Remember what happened after Jason died? If Bruce lost you too, we'd never be able to save his mind. He cares about you more than any of us! He's not tired of you. He loves you! You're his son!"

"I'm not though. I'm a Grayson, not a Wayne."

"What's wrong with you Dick? You were nothing like this last night, or last week, or last year. What makes this situation different? Get your head on straight! I'm not going to lose two brothers to the same man!"

"Piper now's not the time." Dick took her hand. "I'll see you at lunch ok?" He walked away and his hand slipped out of hers.

"He's insane," Piper mumbled as she watched him walk away.

"Piper," Barbara said. "We need to get going."

"No, I'm going home."

"Home?"

"Dick's not going to be here at lunch. He's going to the Batcave, changing into Nightwing, and then setting out by himself." Piper punched her fist into the wall. "And I'm not letting him go by himself."

Barbara thought for a minute. "I'm going with you."

"We need to get back before Dick does." They ran for the nearest exit.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Barbara and Piper parked their bikes on the driveway of Wayne Manor. They ran inside and bumped into Bruce.

"Bruce!" Piper exclaimed. "Where's Dick?"

"At school. Like you two should be. What are you doing here? Mr. Wilson called and-"

Piper pulled her hair in frustration. "No, no, no!" She ran to the study and opened the elevator to the Batcave. She shifted nervously on her feet as the elevator descended into the ground. The doors finally opened and she ran out. "Dick!" her voice echoed through the cave. "Richard John Grayson!" If he didn't respond to his full name, then he definitely wasn't there. There was no response.

"Piper!" Bruce's voice echoed from behind. "What's going on?"

"Bruce! Are you sure you didn't see Dick come home?"

"I didn't. Piper, what's wrong?"

"The message! The message from the Joker! Nightwing is giving himself up!"

"WHAT?!"

"Barbara, call Artemis and M'gann. I'll contact Wally and Connor. We're going to find him."

"What about Tim?" Barbara asked.

"Bruce, call the school and get Tim out. We need him for this."

Bruce hesitated then nodded. "Right."

Within the hour, the original Team stood in the Batcave with Batgirl, Robin, Athena, and Batman. Athena looked at Batman. He nodded at her and she began.

"You all are here for one reason. Nightwing's life is in danger. We're not sure which city Joker is hiding in, so we're splitting up into teams of two. Kid Flash and Artemis, take your bikes and comb through Star City. Miss Martian and Superboy, take the bioship to Happy Harbor. If you have no luck there, go to Metropolis. Batman and Batgirl, take the Batmobile to Fawcett City. Robin and I will take Gotham."

"Excuse me," Batgirl said. "But why do you and Robin get to search Gotham?"

"Robin and I know Gotham city better than anybody and the chances of Nightwing being in Gotham are much higher."

"So then why can't we go with you?" Batgirl asked crossing her arms.

"We're not sure if Nightwing is actually in Gotham, so we need more than just one team." Piper lowered her voice. "Nightwing would do anything to protect me and Robin. It's time that I do the same thing for him. If he's in Gotham, then that's my chance."

"But-" Batgirl started.

"Teams, deploy," Athena said. "Radio if you find him."

The teams went off in different directions. Athena stopped in front Batgirl. "By the way, Nightwing and Zatanna have a history."

Batgirl's eyes widened. "A history?"

"Now's not the time girls," Batman interrupted. "Come on Batgirl, let's go."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

At Alpha's Storage Warehouse, Joker sat on a desk in the old foreman's office, throwing darts at a dartboard with Nighwing's picture pinned to it. Each time a dart hit the picture, Joker would laugh. A few moments later, some of Joker's hired henchmen walked in, dragging Nightwing behind them. Half his face was covered in blood. Joker laughed and jumped off the desk.

"Mr. Grayson! How good to see you again"

Nightwing growled at him.

Joker got in his face. "Are you upset, former Boy Wonder? Now let's see, who's coming to save you? Daddy maybe? Or maybe your little sister? I had fun last time she visited."

Nightwing filled his mouth with saliva and blood and spat on the Joker's face. Joker reared back and wiped his face. Joker slapped Nightwing with the back of his hand.

"Learn some respect boy! Take him to the play room." The henchmen started to take Nightwing away. "No one's coming to save you Grayson!"

"I doubt that highly," Nightwing muttered.

Darkness was falling over the city as Athena and Robin drove down the roads of east Gotham. The rubble from the week before had been mostly cleaned up. Robin followed Athena as they zigzagged down the street.

"Athena?"

"Tim, no one can hear us now. I turned off the com. Drop the names for now."

"Pip, how do you know where we're going? Joker could be anywhere in Gotham."

"Trust me, I know where he is."

Tim thought for a minute. "Alpha's Storage Warehouse!"

"Exactly."

"You sent the others on a wild goose chase!"

"Basically."

"Why?!"

"He's our brother Tim. We're going to get him out. This is a personal mission."

"Piper, if I figured out that it's all a lie, the Bruce will too"

"We've got a head start Tim. That's what counts."

As the two drove down the road, a small, dark puddle by the curb caught Tim's eyes. He signaled Piper to stop and pointed to the puddle. Piper skid to a halt and jumped off her bike. She ran to the side of the road with Tim close behind her. She took off her glove and touched the puddle. It was warm and sticky. It was blood. And it wasn't just anyone's blood. It was Dick's.

Piper and Tim jumped back onto their bikes and started again down the road. A few yards down, they saw another blood splotch. And then another. They followed the splotches until they reached the front of Alpha's Storage Warehouse. Piper looked at Tim.

"I told you that's where he is."

Piper started to go inside but Tim grabs her arms

"Are you crazy? We need to wait for backup!"

"We don't have time to wait. Who knows what they could be doing to Dick right now. I won't wait for them to kill him."

Piper broke loose and kicked the door down. She walked into the dim light. The Joker's laugh suddenly echoed through the room.

"Well, well, well, Athena. How very nice to see you again."

Anger boiled inside Piper. "Where is he?! Where is Nightwing?"

"Don't worry my dear. Your brother is, well, alive. But since you're so keen on finding him, I'll let you play a little game of hide-and-seek. Happy hunting."


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Piper turned to Tim and they both nodded at each other.

"Nightwing! Nightwing!" They call for him as they run through the building. Piper ran up the stairs to the second floor. From behind one of the doors, she heard a faint moan. She kicked down the door.

Dick was in the middle of the room on his knees. His hands were extended and chained to the walls. He lifted his head to look at Piper. His face was swollen and bloody. His mouth was gagged and part of his mask was ripped.

"Oh my-" Piper ran up to him, kneeled in front of him, and pulled off the gag.

"Piper." Dick's voice is hoarse and weak. "You shouldn't be here."

"I told you I'm not letting my big brother die. What happened Dick? What did they do to you?"

"They…they dragged me in here…they…they just kept…beating me…" He closed his eyes and his head slumped down.

"It's ok Dick." She put her hands on his face. "Hey, look at me. Keep your eyes on me. We're going to get you out of here. Tim's here too."

"Where is he?"

"He's fine. He's on the first floor." Piper stood up and released Dick's hands. He slumped forward and Piper caught him before he hit the ground. "Can you walk?"

"I…I'm not sure."

Piper put Dick's arm around her shoulders and hoisted him up onto his feet. She helped him out of the room and onto the balcony. Down below, Piper catches a glimpse of Tim hiding in the shadows.

The Joker's laugh once again echoed through the warehouse. "You found him! Well done my dear. Where's the younger one? Hiding in the shadows? Well you have to come out eventually. You don't want to miss the killing of your siblings do you?"

"Robin, stay where you are!" Nightwing called out. Adrenaline began to flow through his veins.

"Still trying to protect the younger ones I see. But where's the father? Surely he must care enough to be here."

"Why you-" Dick said through gritted teeth.

"Dick," Piper whispered firmly. "It'll be ok. He'll come."

"Well, if you two don't mind," Joker continued. "Boys you can come out now!"

Suddenly out of the shadows, the Joker's henchmen charged at Piper and Dick. Piper kicked the first guy who came close to Dick. _So that's how he took down the buildings, _Piper thought. _He had help. _

"Dick?"

He smiled at her. "I've got this."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Piper ducked under his arm and blocked a punch intended for Dick. She punched one of the guys in the jaw then kicked him in the side of the head. He slumped to the ground. Piper caught a quick glimpse of Dick. He had out his Eskrima sticks and was knocking the sense out of any one who came in a two foot radius. Dick jumped up and grabbed one of the men's shoulders and flipped himself up. He kicked his legs out, striking two other men. He then twisted off the man's shoulders and landed on his feet. He back flipped onto his feet and prepared himself for the next batch.

Piper got out her retractable sword and swung at the men coming at her, blocking left and right. One of the men came at her with the same metal rod Joker used on her. The man knocked the sword out of her hand. Quick as lightning, her hands went to her belt and flung her throwing knives at him, pinning him to the wall. She ducked to avoid another punch, then reached up, grabbed his head and brought it down so it met her knee.

"STOP!" Joker yelled. "Don't you want to see what I caught?"

Piper and Dick stopped and looked down at the Joker. He came out of the shadows holding Tim by his collar.

"Let him go!" Piper yelled.

"I didn't get to have my fun with Tim last time Piper," Joker said. "Will you deprive me of that?"

"Don't use our names so lightly Joker!" Dick yelled. "Let him go."

Tim looked at them and met their gaze. He winked at them. Then he flipped over the Joker's arm and punched him in the jaw. The Joker, confused and dazed, released his grip on Tim's collar and Tim took off, running for the stairs leading to the second floor.

As Tim ran toward the stairs, Joker came out of his daze. He reached into his jacket and three shiny objects went flying toward Tim. Piper's eyes widened.

"Tim look out!" she screamed.

He turned around. First he saw the knives, and then suddenly a black clothed man jumped in front of him. Tim heard the sound of the knives rip through the cloth and then through skin.

"NO!" he screamed.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Dick stumbled for a moment, then dropped to his knees. Tim ran back to him and caught him. He gently laid Dick on the ground. "Dick? Come on Dick, don't do this to me bro."

Piper jumped over the railing and landed in front of Joker. Her anger had reached the boiling point. She curled her fist into a ball and swung it across Joker's face. He fell to the ground laughing.

"Did I strike a nerve? Where were you when Bird Boy two blew up? That would've been more fun."

Piper swung her foot and kicked him in the gut, making him laugh even harder. She grabbed his collar, dragged him to his feet, then punched him again, sending him back to the ground.

"You've improved Piper. You're aim's gotten better."

"You know nothing about me," she said through gritted teeth. She punched him again and his head hit the floor.

"On the contrary, I know everything about you." Piper kicked him in the head and he laughed. "You ran away from home. I killed your brother, sending you into a state of depression." Piper punched him in the gut. "You're father abused you." Piper elbowed him in the throat. The Joker forced a wheezing laugh. "Haven't you ever wondered what happened to him?"

Piper stopped right before she punched him again. Shock froze her body. "You…"

"Did you miss me sweetheart?" He said in a mocking voice

Her voice was reduced to a whisper. "Dad…what happened to you?"

"Oh I went for a little swim in a tub of chemicals. You should try it sometime. It really is quite refreshing."

Piper stood in shock. Joker took his opportunity and punched her in the gut. The remainder of the air left in her lungs got knocked out. He then punched her arm and kicked her wounded leg. She crumbled to her knees. Joker then punched her across the face and knocked her to the ground.

"Where are your knives Piper? Isn't that how it used to be? I'd beat you, then you'd throw knives at me?"

"You…you killed Jason…"

Joker flashed a yellow-toothed smile at his daughter. "The most fun I've had in years. Up until now."

Piper lifted her head and looked at Tim, who was busy trying to keep Joker's men away from Dick. She looked at Dick. His chest was slowly rising then falling. Every few seconds, he'd let out a cough and a gasp for air.

"Dick," Piper whispered. She tried to crawl toward him, but Joker brought his foot across her face.

"Trying to save him? This is so much more fun than last time."

Piper looked up at him. "How do you live with yourself dad? You've killed hundreds of people. You've filled graveyards. You killed mom, you tried to kill me."

"Don't forget your little friend Jason," Joker said with a smile.

Piper let out a frustrated scream and lashed her foot out. Joker's feet were knocked out from under him and he fell onto his back. Piper pinned him down and held one of her knives to his throat.

"Are you going to kill me now? Are you going to break what Batman taught you?"

"Why shouldn't I? You killed Jason. If you take anyone else from my family, I swear I will kill you. No hesitation."

Joker laughed. Piper risked a quick glance at Dick. She saw one of the men stomp his foot on Dick's head and then his stomach, pushing one of the knives deeper into his chest.

"No!"

Joker knocked Piper off of him and pinned her to the ground. He got out one of his knives and held it over her lips.

"Piper!" Tim yelled.

"Now, answer this. If you die, how will you kill me when your so called brother dies?" He slid the knife down and cut her lip. She flinched and tried to turn her head away. Joker grabbed her face and turned it back towards his.

"Joker…stop please." Piper heard Dick's faint voice. Joker released her face and she turned to look at Dick. He had rolled onto his side and the knives lay in small blood puddles next to him.

"Don't hurt her anymore. You came back to Gotham to kill me, so do what you came for."

"No!" Piper turned back to the Joker. "Don't you dare touch him again!"

Joker took the knife and slashed it across Piper's forehead. A long gash appeared above her left eye. He got up off her and walked casually to Dick. Piper rolled onto her stomach and pushed herself off the ground. Her arms were screaming and blood gushed from her head. She looked at Tim, who was now being held back.

Joker wrapped his hand around Dick's neck and squeezed. "You got in the way. I could've killed her then and there. That hit would've killed anyone else. She should be dead and yet she lives because you got in the way!" He tightened his grip.

Piper then realized why Joker was after Dick. Joker had the chance to kill Piper, that day when Bruce confronted Clint Baker about his daughter's well-being. Dick took away that opportunity and Joker never forgot.

"Let him go dad." Piper's voice came out stronger than she intended. "You said so yourself. You had your chance to kill me seven years ago. Well here's another chance. Release his neck or you'll miss your chance."

"Piper you can't!" Tim protested.

"Stay whelmed Tim," Piper said. "I've got this."

Joker looked in between Piper and Dick, as if trying to figure out which one would be more fun to kill. He released Dick's neck and stood up. He faced Piper and pulled out a knife and slowly walked toward Piper. She bowed her head and closed her eyes.

"Piper," Dick wheezed.

"If you want to kill me dad, you have about five seconds."

"Five seconds?" Joker laughed. "Why five?"

"Four."

"What's with the countdown?"

"Three."

"Stop it." He was getting angry now.

"Two."

Joker threw his knife at her. Piper heard the blade whiz through the air, getting louder as it got closer. She caught the blade before it entered her body, slicing her hand. She looked up at him.

"One."


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Right on cue, Batman came bursting through the window and smashed his fist across Joker's face. Joker fell to the ground and laughed.

"So, the Batman does care about his children."

Batman punched him again and the Joker laughed harder.

"Would you like to see what my masterpiece is this time?" he pointed to Dick.

Batman's eyes widened in horror. He grabbed Joker's collar. "What did you do to him?!"

"Isn't it obvious? I've done you a favor Batman. I know how annoying sidekicks can be. You should thank me for getting rid of that annoying Jason kid. Also a thanks for getting rid of the original wouldn't do much harm."

Suddenly the Joker's face contorted in pain. He reached behind him and pulled his knife out of his shoulder. Batman looked up and saw Piper still in her throwing stance. She then ran up and brought her heel down over Joker's nose.

"Why won't you just die?!" He thrust the knife into Piper's side. She stumbled back. Joker smiled and Batman hit his head against the ground. But instead of falling to the ground, Piper remained standing. She looked at Joker and smiled. Joker's grin vanished.

"I won't die that easily dad." She pulled the knife out and threw it on the ground. "Batman, help Tim. I've got this."

Batman hesitated. He looked at Piper's new injury, but decided to trust her, remembering last time he tried to help someone. He went to help Tim, leaving Piper to face her father.

"You should be dead," Joker spat.

"So should you." Piper reached for her belt and pulled out her last throwing knife.

"I promise to make your death as slow and painful as possible." Joker charged at her. Right before he struck, Piper extended the arm holding the knife. Joker's chest ran right into it.

"Sorry dad." She released the knife. "I'm not dying today."

Joker collapsed to the ground. He looked at his daughter with pure hatred in his eyes. "You win this game Piper," he gasped.

Piper kicked him in the head. "Go rot in Hell."

Joker gave her one last yellow toothed smile. "With pleasure." Within the next few moments, he was dead.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

"That's for Jason and mom." A wave of dizziness came over Piper. She held her wounded side and staggered. She reached out and put her hand on the wall. Piper regained her balance and looked around her. The Joker's henchmen lay on the floor unconscious. Bruce and Tim were in the process of tying them up. Piper took a deep breath and stepped forward. Her whole right side exploded in pain. She tried to ignore it as she made her way over to Dick.

She dropped down on her knees next to him and gently turned him onto his back. At first, she couldn't tell if he was breathing. She had a five second heart attack and Piper put her hand under Dick's nose. He was still breathing. She took his hand.

"Dick? Dick, can you hear me?"

Bruce and Tim came over to them. Tim kneeled on the other side and Bruce was next to Piper. Besides a few scratches and red patches that would become bruises, Tim looked alright. They all looked at each other and nodded, then they all took off their masks. Piper reached down and took off Dick's. His eyes were open, but the light that once shown in his blue eyes was fading.

"We have to get him out," Bruce said. "He needs to get medical help immediately. Tim, contact Kid Flash and give him our coordinates."

They heard a small laugh and looked down at Dick. He had a smile on his face. "So you're not tired of me just yet," he said in between deep breaths.

Piper squeezed his hand. "I told you."

Tim radioed Kid Flash. He told KF their whereabouts and KF said he would get there as fast as he could. Piper and Bruce tried to keep Dick talking.

"You're a crazy kid you know that?" Bruce said.

"I had a rough idea. Bruce, I'm sorry I was so cross with you earlier. You had the chance to get Joker and I made you give it up." Dick smiled at him. "You'll get him next time."

Piper looked at Bruce then down at Dick. "There isn't going to be a next time. Joker's dead."

"What?" Bruce looked up and saw Joker's body lying across the floor, the knife still in his chest and a grin on his face. "Piper? You killed him?"

Piper looked at Dick. "Yes Bruce. I killed him. I broke your code and I'm sorry. I just…" She reached up and held her side. Blood spilled over her fingers. "I had a hunch Jason would've wanted him to be the last person Joker ever hurt. I couldn't fulfill that promise I made him five years ago, so I…I did things my way. And after what he did to Dick…I figured he'd be better off dead."

"Pip-" Dick was interrupted by Kid Flash, who had finally arrived.

"Oh crud." Wally saw Dick lying on the ground and looked from Piper to Bruce to Tim. "To the Cave?"

Bruce nodded.

"As fast as I can go?"

He nodded again.

"Right." Wally reached down and helped them pick Dick up. They put him on Wally's back. "Hang on buddy." And he took off.

Piper slumped onto Bruce. He caught her and embraced her. Piper ignored the pain and hugged him back. She began to sob.

"I'm sorry Piper. Dick and I should've told you the truth years ago."

"You knew? You knew Joker was my dad?"

"We worked so hard to keep him away from you that we hoped you'd never figure it out. We thought it would be better for you." He grasped her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "But you have to promise me this now Piper. You will _never _kill again. Do you understand?"

Piper wiped her eyes and nodded. "I truly am sorry Bruce."

Tim came up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. He then looked at Bruce. "What are we going to do? We can't just leave them like this." He motioned toward the Joker and the tied up henchmen.

"Gotham city police are on their way. Put your masks back on. We're going home." Bruce put his arm around Piper and helped her out with Tim following close behind.

No matter how hard Piper would try, tonight would always haunt her.

Red Hood stood on the roof, right where Robin had stood the week before. From his perch, he had the perfect vantage point of the battle. He had originally come to help, but arrived only to see Joker sink into Athena's knife. Scanning the area, Red Hood saw Batman and Robin taking down the Joker's men. He saw Nightwing on the ground clutching his chest.

Red Hood wanted to go in. He wanted to help and get Nightwing somewhere safe. He wanted to comfort Athena. He wanted to be there for her, to repay her for all the times she was there for him. But his feet wouldn't move.

The mysterious man watched the others remove their masks. There was no shock. He knew who they were. He watched Kid Flash go in and then come out with Nightwing on his back. Red Hood turned back to Batman, Robin, and Athena. Batman was trying to comfort her, who was obviously distraught by the fact she killed Joker.

Jason took off his mask and smiled down at his big sister. She couldn't see him-she didn't even know he was alive-but he didn't mind. His sister still had his back, even after he had died. She fought for him and won.

"Thank you Pip." Jason wiped his eyes then put his mask back on. He disappeared into the shadows. _One day, _he thought, _I will go home. I promise Pip._


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Back at the Cave, Tim and Piper sat on the couch and tried to comfort each other. Piper's head, hand, and side were bandaged. The red patches on Tim's face were now beginning to turn black. The rest of the Team gave them their space and stood in the kitchen. From his seat on the barstool, Blue Beetle looked at Piper with sadness. He got up and walked over to her. She looked up at him.

"Jaime?"

He opened his mouth to say something, but then decided against it. He put his hand gently on her shoulder then walked back to the kitchen.

They sat there for hours. The minutes ticked by slowly. Horrible thoughts floated through Piper's mind. _He's dead and you know it_, their nasty voices said. _You couldn't save him. In the end he died saving you._ Piper tried to push the thoughts out of her head, but they were replaced by the images of Joker.

Finally Batman came into the room. He walked over and stood in front of Tim and Piper. The rest of Team gathered behind the couch. Wally reached over the back of the couch and put his hand on Piper's shoulder. She and Tim squeezed each other's hands. Batman drew in a deep breath.

"He's alive."

Cries of joy rang out. Piper and Tim hugged each other. They were also attacked with hugs from the others. They stood up from the couch and hugged Wally. Being Dick's best friend, he had the same amount of fear as Piper and Tim. The three of them, plus Batman, were probably the happiest people in that room.

"Nightwing will need a few weeks to recover completely," Batman said. "The number of visitors should be a minimum. Athena and Robin, you can go in first."

Piper and Tim ran out of the room and into the infirmary wing of the Cave. They ran into Dick's room. He was sleeping. His shirt was missing but instead of a bare chest, he was covered by a bandaged. They leaned over and gently hugged him. Piper kissed his forehead.

"Keep fighting Dick," she whispered. "You can do it."

They spent a few more minutes in the room, then were asked to leave. Piper brushed Dick's hair back off his forehead.

"See you later Nightwing." She and Tim turned to the door. As they walked to it, the doors slid open and Bruce is standing outside. He opened his arms and Piper and Tim ran into them. There was a mixture of laughter and tears.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Three months later, everything mended itself back together. Tim's mind was healing. He would still have nightmares and still woke Piper up in the middle of the night to talk to her. Piper's cuts sealed up, leaving small scars. Dick was up and walking around again. His body was still mostly weak and he was suspended from field missions but still led the Team. Bruce had also changed remarkably. He began to spend more time with them. He took them to basketball games, took them out to dinner, and took time off to get to know them better than before. Bruce also bought a locket for Piper. One picture was of her mom and the other was a picture of Jason. The two people she missed the most were now closer to her heart.

Piper, Tim, and Dick all went back to school after their injuries were healed. Philip Marvin avoided Piper the rest of the year. She smirked at him each time he passed. People often questioned her about her scars, but she waved them off saying they were from her motorcycle accident. They shrugged her off and kept going with their lives.

One day, Bruce sat in his study. Dick opened the door and walked in. "You wanted to see me Bruce?"

Bruce looked up from his work and folded his hands. "Piper told me about the conversation you two had that day at school. Why did you think I was tired of you? What made you think you had to rid yourself to stop bothering me?"

Dick lowered his head. "Bruce I…I lash out at you when you're just trying to help. I don't always follow your orders. I'm rash, I'm impulsive. After all these years, I just thought you'd grown sick of having me around."

Bruce stood up and walked over to Dick. "Dick, you can do all those things, but to believe that I would ever grow tired of you? Could you imagine what would happen to me if I lost two sons to the same man?"

"Jason's death affected you much more than mine would."

"No Dick, you're wrong. It is true Jason's death did throw my world out of balance, but you helped me through it. Dick, you've been fighting by my side longer than anybody. I trust you more than anyone in the world. We may not be blood related, but you're still my son. If you had died, I could never live with myself. You've kept me on the straight side when I wanted revenge. If I lost you, my morals would no longer stand. And can you imagine what would happen to Piper and Tim? Piper stayed in her room for a week after Jason died. She trusts you the most. She had an immediate attachment to you when you two first met. If you had died, she never would've come out of her room again. Her smile would disappear forever. Don't you realize how important you are to our family?"

"Bruce…I'm sorry." Tears spilled over his cheeks. "I don't know why I thought…"

"Come here," Bruce said as he put his arms around Dick. "You're important to me Dick. Don't forget that."

Behind them peering through the cracked door, Piper stood with her arms crossed watching them. A smile spread across her face. Bruce looked up over Dick's head and saw her standing there. He smiled back and winked. Piper nodded and walked down the hall. Her hand went to her locket and she opened it.

"You're important to us too Jason," Piper said to the little picture. "We'll always love you."


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

Back at the Cave, love was also blossoming. Jaime had asked Piper out to dinner shortly after the Joker incident to help ease her mind, and they'd been going strong ever since. Tim picked up the nerve to ask Cassie, the Wonder Girl, on a date. Dick and Zatanna continued where they left off, continuing their history. Bruce smiled at the fact that all three of his children were now part of a couple. Barbara was at first envious of Zatanna, but decided not to waste her life on it. She began dating a boy from school and maintained a close relationship with the members of the Wayne household.

At Wayne Manor, life went back to the usual normal. Dick now joined Piper and Tim in their sibling bonding time much more often than before. He continues to protect them and help them through life and the superhero gig. Bruce continues to train them and raise them as both Batman and Bruce Wayne. Each mission brought them closer. And each mission made them stronger.

Over time, villains came to fear the Bat family. Nightwing, Athena, and Robin also became known as the Children of the Bat, and would carry on Batman's legacy for years to come.

**The End**

**So this was kind of long. Sorry about that :) I also wrote this story a while ago so that's why it was uploaded so quickly. I also have another story I want to work on right away so please stay tuned! Thank you to everyone who has read my stories and reviewed! **


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